Phacochoerus aethiopicus
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The desert warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus) is a mammalian, artiodactyl-ungulate species of the pig and swine family (Suidae) native to the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. Fossils have been found from the Holocene epoch showing that two divergent lines of warthogs (Phacochoerus spp.) were in existence thousands of years ago. The ancestors of the present-day common warthog (P. africanus) had a different number of incisors from the ancestors of the desert warthog (P. aethiopicus) line. During the late 19th century, P. aethiopicus became extinct in South Africa. Subsequently, study of mDNA and morphological analysis has shown that the East African population of warthogs, previously thought to be a variant of the common warthog, are, in fact, surviving members of the putatively extinct P. aethiopicus.
The desert warthog is a stockily... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 3 | Meru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Living Desert Zoo and Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States |
Very likely
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Desert Warthog sighting in Samburu National Reserve on a given day, based on 84 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 4th most-seen of the 25 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–March and September
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Desert Warthog in Samburu National Reserve on a given day, against about 50% in April and May, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Desert Warthog sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Desert Warthog sightings, Samburu National Reserve has the highest daily chance: about 70%. Next come Tsavo East National Park (Kenya, about 50%) and Meru National Park (Kenya, about 50%).
Same order: Artiodactyla
The closest relatives of the Desert Warthog that you can see in Samburu National Reserve (order Artiodactyla, Even-toed Ungulates and Cetaceans) are Kirk's Dik-dik (about 80%), Grant's Gazelle (about 80%) and Impala (about 70%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Desert Warthog is recorded against all the mammals logged in Samburu National Reserve (84 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
