Distribution and eco-ethology of red river hog (Potamochoerus porcus (Linn.)) and common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus (Gmelin.)) in the different ecosystems of southern Benin

Résumé

The common warthog and the red river hog are the two suids types found in Benin. They are more often discreet in front of increasing threats in most of the preferred ecosystems they are found and one is less well known even though they are good game and serve as a source of income. The global objective of this study is to analyse conservation strategies of red river hog and common warthog through the capitalisation of data on their ecology, ethology and the different sympatric relationships in certain specific ecosystems in Benin. The investigations carried out in this study made it possible to identify and analyse the occurrences habitats, the eco-ethological requirements conditioning their presence, perceptions of their diet and the major human relationships with regard to these suids. In the run-up to this work, a review was made to better situate the relevance of the study, followed by the use of transects (direct/indirect) to collect the presence indices that led to the species distribution establishment and the installation of phytosociological surveys. Structured interviews with the local population allowed, among other things, knowledge of past distribution, assessment of diet perceptions and ecological niche analysis. Photographic trapping methods, climatic and then additional data were used to collect ethological data and identify suitable habitats for the both species, respectively. The results of this work enabled us to evaluate the red river hog and the common warthog place in Benin among the suids and analyse the ecological and geographical distribution, which revealed no current sympatric areas. Their distribution areas keep on facing to preferential habitat loss. We were also able to detect similarities in diet and phytoecological characterisation of their habitats showing the spontaneous/marginal populations lack of resilience. Low values of Shannon diversity indices (0-0.4 bits), Equitabilité of Pielou (0-0.1) and Simpson (0-0.01) were got in most groups where the red river hog live. Its activity budget was analysed and the ecological niche with regard to these suids was modeled. On nocturnal customs, the red river hog are active between 6p.m and 6a.m in the morning and in large dry season they carry out more the digging the ground with its snout (p<0.01). About their diet, in contrast to the red river hog, the common warthog had a much greater preference for wild species and also prefers shrubby/tree savannas, fields/ fallow, open forests and wooded savannas. Both the suid, the AUC and the TSS of the Random Forest algorithm gave the highest values. With a quasi-regression of these favourable areas in the north and centre, the common warthog remains more subject to the effects of climatic variability in Benin than the red river hog. Horizons are opening up for the different reintroduction areas and the feasibility of game ranching programmes to be favoured in the long term, including the south and centre of Benin for the common warthog and the south for the red river hog. In short, it is important to use this work results to set up intensive and extensive breeding programmes for these both suids rather than claiming any reintroduction without taking into account the genetic potential. It is also important to think about the creation of some artificial ponds and analyse the individuals zootechnical potential resulting from the crossbreeding between these two suids and the local pig for a revitalisation/re-dynamisation of the Beninese economy. Insist on reviewing the land use policy, control the different migration corridors and restore the most degraded habitats. Finally, it’s important to better orientate awareness-raising approaches, to carry out educational training on the mitigation of the climate change effects while ensuring the provision of income-generating/benefit activities that respect the environment. The setting up of a database on the degree of threat to these suids and the data updating on the status of their preferred areas in Benin is necessary.

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