SOME EAST AFRICAN PIGS 
45 
The Giant pig is fond of water and wallowing and will travel 
some distance to the brackish pools or mudholes which occur 
on the Mau escarpment. 
Its food consists of a plant with green glabrous leaves, 
a thin stem, and white flowers, which grows in great profusion 
all through the forest. These plants grow to a height of 
3 to 3| feet and form a dense cover. The succulent tops seem 
to be preferred. (It is said that this plant also forms the 
chief food of the Bongo.) The Giant pig does not appear to 
‘ root ’ at all like the Bush pig, Warthog and domestic pig. 
The tumed-up areas in forest clearings appear to be all made 
by Bush pigs. The spoor of the Giant pig may be followed 
up for many miles, but during that space no earth will be found 
turned up, or, if it is found, the spoor of the Bush pig will be 
much in evidence. 
In the country haunted by the Giant pig rubbing trees are 
much in evidence. When the pig comes up from his wallow it 
removes the superfluous mud by rubbing round some chosen 
tree. These trees get much worn to a height of some 3| feet. 
The spoor of the Giant pig is large and distinctive, being 
very rounded on the outside edges. The toes do not meet 
and are rather splayed, and in soft ground the posterior toes 
make a dent in the soil. The droppings are large and char- 
acteristic, much resembling those of the Hippopotamus on a 
smaller scale. When alarmed and running away the tail is 
hoisted vertically with the tip dropping forward in a similar 
manner to the Warthog. 
As stated above the female has from two to six young at 
a birth. According to the Dorobo the older sows have the 
larger litters. They (the Dorobo) state that young pigs may 
be met at all seasons. 
The colour of the young is a brownish brindle. The very 
young are brown, but black hairs appear to grow between 
the softer brown ones and the brown hairs are gradually shed. 
When the young pigs attain a length of some two and a half 
feet they are nearly all black. In smaller specimens the 
brown-coloured hair is very obvious. Both coloured hairs 
are very long and strong, being practically bristles. The tuft 
of whitish hair on the cheek tubercle is very noticeable in the 
