As you undertake the wildlife excursion of a lifetime on the Kilimanjaro Safaris attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park, you may spot a family of warthogs burrowing amongst the rocky outcrops and tall grasses.

Be on the lookout for other relatives of hogs, like the babirusa in The Oasis Exhibits and KuneKune pigs at Affection Section.

If your travels bring you to the tranquil savannas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, keep an eye out for the warthogs’ brightly colored cousins, the red river hogs!

African Hogs in the Wild
Warthogs inhabit the vast grasslands and vibrant savannas of sub-Saharan Africa. In comparison, the native range of red river hogs is slightly more limited, with populations spanning western and central sub-Saharan Africa. While they can also make their home on the bustling savanna, red river hogs tend to prefer forested, flatland, marsh and thicket habitats. African hogs use their tusks to unearth their favorite foods, protect themselves and compete for territory.

Disney’s animal care experts create an engaging habitat for our hogs that reinforces their natural behaviors, social structures and favorite pastimes.

Where There’s a Wallow, There’s a Way
Settling in for a mud bath is a favorite way to cool off for red river hogs. Coating themselves in a layer of mud also protects their skin from the harsh sun and biting flies in the wild. Upon noticing that the red river hogs at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge were relaxing in natural mud wallows in parts of their exhibit where Guests could not see them, Disney’s animal care experts installed premium mud wallow sites in clear view of Guests. Now, rolling around in these upgraded mud wallows has become a favorite pastime that simultaneously reinforces natural behaviors.

Pigging Out
Warthogs are encouraged to pig out the same way they would in the wild—and in the wild, finding food can require some good old-fashioned foraging and problem solving. In addition to their daily meals, Disney’s animal care experts provide our hogs with a variety of stimulating enrichment to encourage them to sniff out special treats. Puzzle-feeders, which the hogs must manipulate with their snout, and other special snacks are hidden throughout the exhibit to promote curiosity. This kind of enrichment encourages our hogs to investigate new sights, root out the source of new smells and interact with their environment the same way they would on an ever-changing savanna in the wild.

Animal Training
With sprawling savannas to explore, the warthogs and red river hogs have plenty of space to claim as their own. Disney’s animal care experts often need the hogs to shift from one part of the savanna to another so they can maintain our manmade savannas after the hogs have had a busy day of digging, rooting and foraging. To facilitate this, the hogs are trained using positive reinforcement to respond to audio cues, a bit like how a pet dog may respond to verbal commands from their owner. Audio cues can vary from bells and whistles to woodblocks being knocked together. Different sounds indicate that it is time for the hogs to move along to another section of the savanna!