Abstract            Volume:13  Issue-9  Year-2025         Original Research Articles

Online ISSN : 2347 - 3215 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcret@gmail.com

Study on forage availability and nutrient quality of common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) was conducted in Gassi and Haro Aba Diko controlled areas, Western Ethiopia in 2018-2019. Forage availability was determined using feeding quadrat method whereas seasonal variations of nutrient quality of common warthog were measured using clipped plant samples and fecal droppings. Dietary and fecal contents of C, N, P, neutral and acid detergent fiber were analyzed. Crude protein content was measured using Kjeldhal method. In HADCHA (Haro Aba Diko Controlled Hunting Area), 28 and in GCHA, (Gassi Controlled Hunting Area) 24 seasonally available forage species contributed ≥ 1% in the diet of common warthog during the wet and dry seasons. The top four seasonal availability proportion forage species of both study areas showed similarity in C. nlemfuensis, H. rufa, H. hirta and C. dactylon, but differed by Eragrostis spp. and D. abyssinica. The mean proportion of fecal and dietary nitrogen contents of common warthog showed significance difference (F1 15 = 35.02, P <0.05) and positively correlated (Spearman r = 0.31; P>0.05; N = 16) in both study areas. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content of feces of common warthogs was higher in HADCHA (74.28 ± 3.92) than in GCHA (71.01 ± 0.12) and revealed significant variation (F1 3 = 5.27, P <0.05). Therefore, a wider range of plant species were available in the diet of common warthog. Nevertheless warthogs foraged 1311 mg/100g and 1489.2 mg/100g dietary phosphorous concentration, which were below the minimum threshold level leading to high risk of sterility and population decline in both study areas. Dietary C, P, N, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) of common warthogs regulated the entire metabolic activity of the animal and these were calibrated more in dietary than in the fecal dropping of the animals.

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