Sus cebifrons

Visayan warty pig (scientific name: Sus cebifrons) is a species endemic to the Visayas Islands in the Philippines.

Reports on the activity patterns of Visayan wild pigs in undisturbed areas are rare, as any such activity is deep in remote forest areas with rugged terrain, making even casual observation impossible. Conversely, in areas where most species are hunted extensively, the Visayan wild boar is active primarily at night to avoid conflict with human activity (it may "raid" crops planted in or near forest edges).

The Visayan wild boar is highly sociable and mostly lives in small groups of 3-5 individuals, with groups of up to 12 reported, but given its much lower density, it is likely that larger groups would form under more natural conditions. Wild boars in zoos have been described as "playful and friendly", which may further refer to their social nature. Wild boars in Visayan wild boar groups usually consist of a single adult male, several females (local hunters indicate that it is usually 3-4), plus their young. Solitary males also exist, but are rarely seen. Sows will vigorously defend their farrowing nests from boars, but will usually allow boars full access to their piglets for a few days after they first emerge from the nest.

The Visayan wild pig is an omnivore, feeding on a wide variety of plant and animal species. Due to the scarcity of the species in the wild, there are no direct reports of feeding behavior, but some information has been obtained from feces and feeding signs. The species feeds primarily on plant species such as Fagaceae, Platea excelsa, and Dillenia reifferscheidia, while the first two plant species may be completely dependent on the Visayan wild pig for seed dispersal. The species also feeds on a variety of vines, palms, wild bananas, taro, avocados, etc. and agricultural crops. Captive Visayan wild boars readily consume a wide variety of grains, fruits, vegetables, leafy branches, and grasses; and most Visayan wild boars will prey heavily on rodents (mice and rats) and other "prey".

The reproductive behavior of the Visayan wild boar is known primarily from captive populations. The gestation period is approximately 118 days, and 1-2 weeks before parturition, females begin to exhibit nesting behavior and may be aggressive toward certain species. Females typically give birth overnight and are very protective of their offspring. Litter sizes in the wild range from 2-4 pups, similar to those in captivity. In 2005, a record number of 5 pups in a single litter was found at two breeding centers in the Philippines. The pups begin eating solid food at one week old and may not be weaned until 6 months of age. Females are able to produce a litter in 8-12 months. The pups are born with light brown fur with four darker stripes running down the body from head to tail. These stripes fade as the pups grow, reaching their adult fur color after a year. Females reach sexual maturity at 2-3 years of age, and males reach sexual maturity at 2 years of age, but do not have the fully developed characteristics of adult males. Wild Visayan boars live 10-15 years, and can live up to 18 years in captivity.

The Visayan wild pig has been eliminated from three of the six islands where it was previously known or assumed to have occurred. Namely Cebu (where the species was last reported in the 1960s), Guimaras, and Ticat Islands. It is endangered, if not yet "functionally extinct," on Masbate, where the species was last confirmed in 1993, when only a few individuals were reported to survive in a single location. As a result, viable populations can only survive in the last remaining forest fragments on Negros and Panay (6% and > 4% of the land area, respectively). This is despite the fact that genetic contamination from hybridization with free-ranging domestic or wild pigs has also been confirmed to occur in most (perhaps all) of these populations.

The IUCN Red List classifies it as Critically Endangered, its highest threat status. It is thought to be extinct in over 95% of its former range, with only fragmented, isolated populations found. In addition to the loss of suitable forest habitat, the species is severely threatened by hunting and raids that destroy crops. Hybridization is another threat, with recent evidence suggesting that the species may breed with domestic pigs. This is evident in animals killed by poachers, which (with increasing frequency) exhibit such hybrid characteristics, including a short muzzle, large ears, reduced bristles, a larger body, and even spotted markings.

All of the few remaining populations of the Visayan wild pig are widely dispersed and declining. They are affected by commercial logging operations, continued low-level illegal logging and agricultural expansion (especially slash-and-burn and deforestation), and hunting pressure. They continue to be hunted for their meat by local farmers in the interior and recreational hunters in large cities, and their meat often costs at least twice the price of local pork in local markets and specialty restaurants. Unfortunately, efforts to reduce or prevent hunting are also often undermined by the damage these animals cause to crops, and the Visayan wild pig can severely damage crops grown within or near existing forest boundaries, and is therefore considered a pest and therefore a target for legal hunting activities. Most unfortunately, the species is also threatened by genetic contamination from hybridization with free-ranging domestic and other wild pigs, and the presence of hybrids has been confirmed in nearly all remaining population sites.

The Visayan wild pig is fully protected under Philippine law, although enforcement of protections is generally poor in most areas, including many “protected areas”, due to lack of resources and other factors. The species is distributed in small numbers in several “natural parks”, including Mount Canlaon with 8,000 hectares; Northern Negros with 18,000 hectares; Mount Talinis/Lake Balinsaso with 11,000 hectares; and the proposed Panay Mountains Natural Park with approximately 70,000 hectares. However, the official declaration of the last protected area was ultimately stymied by a lack of agreement among the relevant local governments, and multiple separate smaller areas have since been declared, although these do not cover all of the most important sites, nor have any of these areas been better protected since their declaration, due to the lack of any corresponding national budget allocations.

The Visayan Wild Pig Conservation Program (VWPCP) was formally established in 1992 under the auspices of a new Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of the Philippine government and the Zoological Society of San Diego (ZSSD) of the United States to facilitate the widespread development and implementation of conservation-related activities. These included extensive surveys and other field studies, educational awareness campaigns, assistance in the establishment of new protected areas, various personnel trainings and other local capacity-building initiatives. The latter also included assistance in the establishment of three local rescue and breeding centers for the threatened species (one on Panay Island and two on Negros Island) to establish a well-structured conservation breeding program that would establish and manage purebred founder populations of these animals while opportunities to do so still exist. The breeding program has since expanded to other breeding centers locally and internationally, and it is hoped that this will also allow for the future reintroduction of these animals to selected locations in Cebu and other islands.

Listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2016 ver 3.1 - Critically Endangered (CR).

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The Visayan wild pig is endemic to the Western Visayas (or Negros-Bana Faunal Region) in the central Philippines, and was historically found on Cebu, Guimaras, Ticao, Panay, Negros, Masbate, and Ticao Islands. It is unclear whether the Visayan wild pig formerly lived on the neighboring island of Siquijor, where it has also become extinct, but the species was replaced by the larger Philippine wild pig on Bohol and all other larger Philippine islands east of the Huxley Line, except on Mindoro Island, where it was replaced by the Mindoro wild pig.
The Visayan wild pig has disappeared from most of its range, with fragmented populations found only on Negros, Panay, and Masbate.
The Visayan wild pig lives in dense forests in the Visayas, Philippines. The original habitat ranges from sea level to primary and secondary forests at elevations of 1,600 meters. The Visayan wild pig has retreated to forested areas, where it occurs primarily above 800 m, because suitable habitat is scarce in t

Visayan wild boar males weigh 35-40 kg, up to 80 kg, stand 50-55 cm, and have a body length of 95.7-114 cm; females weigh 20-35 kg, have a body length of 23-45.6 cm, and have a height of up to 63 cm at the withers; tail length 23 cm. Like many island species, the Visayan wild boar is relatively small in size. The body shape is typical of pigs, barrel-shaped, with short legs. Males are much larger than females, and the weight difference between the sexes is up to four times. These pigs are generally lean, but can become obese in captivity. Body length withers height tail length.
The high-crowned skull is relatively small in both sexes, and sexual dimorphism is very obvious in the skull morphology. Externally, the head is elongated with a terminal nasal disc. The ears are small, erect, and slightly pointed. Although sometimes called "warty pigs", the facial warts of Visayan wild boars are generally small, with males from Panay Island having the largest warts. The Visayan war