Giant Pig
Kolpochoerus majus
📈🐖
Chordata
Mammalia
Artiodactyla
Suina
Suidae
Kolpochoerus majus
The Giant Pleistocene Pig — Kolpochoerus majus was a massive suid that roamed the grasslands and woodlands of Africa during the Pleistocene. Much larger than modern warthogs, it possessed robust jaws and formidable tusks, making it a formidable presence among the prehistoric megafauna.
Description
Giant Pig (Kolpochoerus majus) — This extinct pig species was one of the largest suids to have ever lived. Adults reached a shoulder height of 1.2–1.3 meters, a length of 2–2.5 meters, and weighed up to 300–350 kg. It had heavy cheekbones, powerful jaws, and curved tusks that projected forward, adapted for digging roots, defense, and male combat. Fossil evidence suggests that it inhabited open grasslands and savanna-woodland mosaics across East Africa. Its diet likely included grasses, roots, tubers, and possibly carrion, making it an opportunistic omnivore.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
350
1.2
1.8
2
kg
m
m
m
Mixed Feeder
Omnivores – Balanced
Hunt History
Early humans and hominins are believed to have hunted Kolpochoerus majus for its meat, hide, and tusks. Given its size and aggression, cooperative hunting methods were likely required, such as driving individuals into traps, pitfall hunting, or ambush with spears. Like other large suids, it would have been both a dangerous quarry and a valuable food source.
Earliest Archaeological Evidence of Human Predation:
Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania (ca. 1.5 million years ago) — Fossils of Kolpochoerus with stone tool cut marks indicating butchery by early Homo erectus.
Koobi Fora, Kenya (ca. 1.4 million years ago) — Associated suid remains with Acheulean handaxes and flakes suggest scavenging and hunting.
Middle Stone Age deposits, Ethiopia (ca. 200,000 years ago) — Suid bones found with clear evidence of human processing for marrow and meat.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Globally Extinct
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
500000
BP
Late Pleistocene
Africa
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Medium
Fat %
5
Est. Renderable Fat
130
kg
Targeted Organs
Visceral & subcutaneous
Adipose Depots
Visceral/subcutaneous (general)
Preferred Cuts
Visceral depot
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
4