Mom, there's a warthog in the cupboard

This might not have been exactly how the conversation went, but probably not too far off. Can you imagine the fright that both the people and the warthog got when they went into the room and found a warthog in the cupboard?

My sister-in-law sent through WhatsApp messages with the unfolding drama during the course of 29 December 2018. I can safely say that discussing how to get a warthog safely out of a cupboard is an unusual thread for a community WhatsApp group, even for Joburg.

The area where the incident took place is surrounded by pristine veld, so perhaps it's not surprising that something as substantial as a warthog pair have managed to make a go of it there. Apparently two (perhaps a breeding pair) had found their way out of the veld and into someone's house. We never quite got details on the second of the pair, such as whether it had found its own cupboard, and which was the male and the female, but that doesn't make this story any less exciting.

Finding a warthog in your cupboard can be disconcerting. They are wild animals, not cute pets, and can be extremely dangerous if they feel threatened.

The good news is that the resourceful People of the Cupboard called the local Wildlife Vet, who came, caught the warthog, put it on a drip and monitored it for a while, then released it back into the veld as you can see on the short video below. I didn't get details on how the other member of the pair found freedom.

I'm sure there was a better way to load that video, but the link didn't work so I ended up embedding it. I hope you can watch it - don't blink, as the Great Escape happens in the briefest of moments.

Anyway, all's well that ends well and apparently both porcines are happily free in the wild again.

Image and video by Mandi Hill, courtesy of Maxi Beck

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