The Visayan Warty Pig, Sus cebifrons, is a critically endangered

Critically endangered

Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...

 species of pig. The Visayan warty pig is endemic to two of the Visayan Islands in the central Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

, and is threatened by habitat loss, food shortages and hunting - these are the leading causes of the Visayan Warty Pig's status as critically endangered. Due to the small numbers of remaining Visayan Warty Pigs in the wild, little is known of their behaviors or characteristics outside of captivity.

Subspecies

• Cebu Warty Pig
  Cebu Warty Pig
  The Cebu Warty Pig previously lived in Cebu, Philippines before becoming extinct in modern times, primarily due to habitat destruction. This pig was assessed to be extinct in 2000....
  
   (Sus cebifrons cebifrons) (believed to be extinct)

• Negros Warty Pig (Sus cebifrons negrinus). There are two separate remaining populations of S. c. negrinus - on the islands of Negros and Panay
  Panay
  Panay may refer to*Panay Island*Panay *Panay, Capiz*Panay River*Panay Gulf* USS Panay *Panay incident...
  
  , respectively. Both populations have been physically and genetically isolated since the last ice age (c. 12,000 yrs). The current conservation program for S. c. negrinus includes successful breeding programs at the Rotterdam Zoo for pigs of Negros origin, and at the San Diego Zoo
  San Diego Zoo
  The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, is one of the most progressive zoos in the world, with over 4,000 animals of more than 800 species...
  
   for pigs of Panay origin.

Although it is believed that S. cebifrons can now only be found in Negros and Panay, some studies report of the possibility that a small population exists on the island of Masbate.

Distribution

The Visayan Warty Pig is endemic to six islands in the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

. It is now extinct on four of the islands.
It is extinct because of the Filipino Natives that capture them and use them for resources such as eating and using its skin for fur.

Physical characteristics

The Visayan Warty Pig receives its name from the three pairs of fleshy "warts" present on the visage of the boar. Biologists speculate that the reason for the warts is to assist as a natural defense against the tusks of rival pigs during a fight. The boars also grow stiff spikey hair.

Habitat and diet

The Visayan Warty Pigs tend to live in groups of four to six. The diet of the pig mainly consists of roots, tubers, and fruits that can be found in the forest. They may also eat cultivated crops. Since approximately 95% of their natural habitat has been cleared by local farmers who cut down the forest to plant crops, the propensity of the pigs to eat cultivated crops has risen dramatically. Because the land that is cleared for farming is often unproductive after a few years, the food sources of the Visayan warty pig are extremely limited, a factor that has contributed significantly to the pig’s dwindling numbers.

Reproduction

Visayan Warty Pig piglets are often seen during the dry season between the months of January and March in their native habitat of the western Visayan Islands. The mean number of piglets is three to four per litter.

Captive status

In addition to a few other conservation programs in the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

, the Crocolandia Foundation

Crocolandia Foundation

The Crocolandia Foundation Inc., founded in 2001, is a nature conservation center located in Talisay City, Cebu, Philippines. The park houses birds, lizards, snakes, and crococodiles. The park also breeds endangered animals such as the Philippine crocodile and the sailfin lizard. The park's most...

 and the Negros Forests and Ecological Foundation, Inc., both have this species in captivity. In Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, seven zoos - the Rotterdam Zoo, Poznan Zoo, Chester Zoo

Chester Zoo

Chester Zoo is a zoological garden at Upton-by-Chester, in Cheshire, England. It was opened in 1931 by George Mottershead and his family, who used as a basis some animals reported to have come from an earlier zoo in Shavington. It is one of the UK's largest zoos at...

, Edinburgh Zoo

Edinburgh Zoo

Edinburgh Zoo, formally the Scottish National Zoological Park, is a non-profit zoological park located in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland...

, Blackbrook Zoological Park

Blackbrook Zoological Park

Blackbrook Zoological Park is a wildlife attraction in central England which exhibits the largest collection of birds in the country. It is known for its excellent breeding record with many rare bird species, with over 300 successfully breeding species to date. The zoo also has a growing collection...

, Děčín Zoo and the Newquay Zoo

Newquay Zoo

Newquay Zoo is a zoological garden located in Newquay, England. The zoo was opened in Cornwall on Whit Monday May 26, 1969 by the local council , it was privately owned by Mike Thomas and Roger Martin from 1993 until 2003...

 - maintain the Negros Island variety of this species. Moreover, several zoos in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 also maintain this species. The San Diego Zoo

San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, is one of the most progressive zoos in the world, with over 4,000 animals of more than 800 species...

 was the first zoo outside the Philippines to keep and breed Visayan Warty Pigs. Elsewhere in North America, zoos in Los Angeles

Los Angeles Zoo

The Los Angeles Zoo , is a zoo founded in 1966 and located in Los Angeles, California. The City of Los Angeles owns the entire zoo, its land and facilities, and the animals...

, Portland

Oregon Zoo

The Oregon Zoo, formerly the Washington Park Zoo, is a zoo in Portland, the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located southwest of Downtown Portland, the zoo is inside Portland's Washington Park, and includes a narrow-gauge railway that connects to the International Rose Test Garden inside...

, Phoenix

Phoenix Zoo

The Phoenix Zoo opened in 1962 and is the largest non-profit zoo in the United States. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, the zoo was founded by Robert Maytag, a member of the Maytag family, and operates on of land in the Papago Park area of Phoenix. It has been designated as a Phoenix Point of...

, Miami, Tampa

Lowry Park Zoo

Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo is a nonprofit zoo located in Tampa, Florida. In 2004, Lowry Park Zoo was voted the #1 Family Friendly Zoo in the US by Child Magazine, and is recognized by the State of Florida as the center for Florida wildlife conservation and biodiversity .Tampa's Lowry Park Zoological...

, Saint Louis, and Boise have also kept the species.