Warthog

Trotting across the savanna with its tail held high like a flagpole, the warthog is one of Africa's most charming and resilient characters. While its face, covered in large, bumpy "warts" and two pairs of impressive curved tusks, might look a little scary at first, this member of the pig family is usually a peaceful plant-eater.

Those warts are actually thick pads of skin that protect its face during fights, and its tusks are vital tools for digging up roots and defending itself from predators. Warthogs are famous for their clever habit of backing into abandoned aardvark or porcupine burrows to sleep, keeping their tusks facing the entrance, ready to guard against any unwelcome visitors!