Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Massive warthog culling in South Africa.

Roger, it's the drought issues in the EC that made them thin through the area. With agriculture and irrigation the typical drought issues that would be natural are compensated with farming water.

The problems with the lack of water that limited warthogs from expanding into this area, were removed with the additional dams put in for cattle and irrigation for crops. Now the one thing that would eliminate the farmers struggle is the single thing that lets them exist so well.

They can eat anything, and find enough food to live on with relative ease in almost any habitat. However water must be available. No water, no warthogs that simple. Introduce then to a place with water, and they will thrive and grow very quickly. They also are kinda the canary in the coal mine where the general health of plains game is concerned. When you see lots of sickly emaciated warthogs, the Kudu are next, and then it's a slippery slope for the rest of the game.

Water is the key to life in Southern Africa, good water is the foundation of strong populations of game. Namibia is the same, and maybe even more so in much of the habitat. Much of Namibia is without high fences. But when you have one or two good sources of of man made water on 50,000 acres the game does not need to be fenced. It's on a "water tether" to the landowners property. During some parts of the year all game can move freely, but during the rainless droughts those animals are locked into that water with more security then any fence could ever provide!