Pumbaa!
The Disney character’s name means “silly or careless” in Swahili. Pumbaa may have been, but Warthogs are pretty serious fellows. “The warthog is a tough, sturdy animal. Males weigh 20 to 50 pounds more than females, but both are distinguished by disproportionately large heads and “warts”—thick protective pads that appear on both sides of the head… The warthog characteristically carries its tail upright when it runs, the tuft waving like a tiny flag.”
“The warthog is mainly a grazer and has adapted an interesting practice of kneeling on its calloused, hairy, padded knees to eat short grass. Using its snout and tusks, it also digs for bulbs, tubers and roots during the dry season. They may eat earthworms and other small invertebrates during the wet season.”
Read more here at African Wildlife Foundation, and check out more Serengeti photos at Explore.org.
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