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Experts Reported a Global Decline in Common Warthogs

Wild common warthog standing in open habitat in Senegal
Conservation · Population & status

Experts from the IUCN Species Survival Commission have recommended that the common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) remain classified as Least Concern, while also reporting that the species is declining globally.

The recommendation was developed during the second African Wild Pigs Meeting in central Kenya on 4–5 February 2026. The meeting brought together specialists to reassess all five African wild pig species for the IUCN Red List, whose previous assessments dated from 2016.

Widespread, but declining globally

The common warthog remains widespread. Experts also noted that its range and abundance are expanding in South Africa. These factors support retaining the species in the Least Concern category.

At the same time, the meeting recorded a declining global trend. Habitat loss and hunting pressure were identified as broad drivers affecting Africa’s wild pigs, although the situation differs among species and regions.

The proposed status is a recommendation from the expert meeting rather than a newly published Red List assessment. The updated assessments were scheduled to be submitted to IUCN by the middle of 2026.

African swine fever remains a management issue

The experts also highlighted the common warthog’s role as a reservoir for African swine fever as a critical management consideration. The meeting included an update on current knowledge, approaches and tools for assessing the role of African suids in the epidemiology and ecology of the disease.

Participants called for more research on the taxonomy, ecology, distribution and threats affecting African wild pigs. They also discussed improved population-survey methods and a “snout index” for distinguishing the two warthog species.

IUCN reported the meeting’s recommendations on 16 March 2026.

Sources and image credit

  1. International Union for Conservation of Nature. (2026, March 16). Experts call for more attention to African wild pigs.First-hand IUCN report from the 2nd African Wild Pigs Meeting. Experts recommended retaining Least Concern for common warthog while recording a global decline; the species is expanding in range and abundance in South Africa, and its role as a reservoir for African swine fever remains a management concern.

Image: Charles J. Sharp — common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus africanus) in Senegal, photographed 22 December 2016; Wikimedia Commons; representative wild species image, not an animal from the 2026 expert meeting; cropped to 16:9 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

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