Warthogs are highly active, rooting mammals with complex social structures. Zoo welfare depends on substrates that allow digging, appropriate group housing, and enrichment that mirrors savanna foraging.
Zoo warthogs require deep, loose substrate throughout their enclosure for rooting behaviour — the single most important welfare provision. Hard, bare enclosures with no digging opportunity cause frustration, pacing, and tusk problems. Group housing with compatible individuals reduces isolation stress. Burrow structures or covered refuges should be available for thermoregulation and security. Scatter feeding with roots, tubers, and browse hidden in substrate engages natural foraging sequences. Heat management is critical — warthogs must access shade, wallows, or misting systems in warm climates. Veterinary monitoring of tusk length and wrist calluses (from kneeling) is essential. Accreditation bodies increasingly evaluate substrate depth and enrichment variety as core warthog welfare indicators.