Desert
warthogs (Phacochoerus aethiopicus) are common pig specie in the
sub Saharan region of Africa in particular South Western
Ethiopia. A study on the population dynamics and activity
pattern of Desert warthog was carried out on both wet and dry
season 2010/11 in Abijata-Shalla Lakes National Park. The ground
total count method was employed in the park. The count ranged
between 72 and 46 individuals. Females comprised 48.30% while
males 33.06%. The herd size altered with seasons. Large herds
were frequently observed during the wet season and smaller
groups during the dry season. About 71% of the total time was
spent in feeding and 20% in resting. There were two feeding
peaks, one in the morning and another in the afternoon, and one
resting peak in the middle of the day. Desert Warthogs are in
decline and face continued threats through human activities in
the form of competition for foraging habitat with domestic
livestock and settlements in their former range.
Cite this article as:
Tewodros Kumssa and Afework
Bekele (2013). Population status and activity pattern of desert warthog (Phacochoerus
aethiopicus) in Abijata-Shalla Lakes National Park, Ethiopia. Acad. J. Eviron.
Sci. 1(1): 009-017.
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