You may have heard of the name Pumba from Disney’s film, “The Lion King,” but did you know where this name came from and what it actually means? The name Pumba actually means “careless, foolish, ignorant, lazy, stupid, and negligent” in the Swahili language.
The name was given to the African Warthogs as a way of describing the mess and dirty hoofprints that these animals leave all over the place while scampering through a garden or village farms.
What’s even more interesting is the fact that these animals tend to leave even more mess in the event that you try to yell or chase them away.
So to many Swahili speakers, warthogs have always been called Pumba, and the scriptwriters from the film “The Lion King” simply borrowed it for their most loved character.
Pumbaa Animal Facts.
The Warthog is a unique creature, with a face that only a mother could love or maybe not. They’re known for their tusks, which can grow up to 18 inches long. These tusks can be used for everything from digging for food to defending themselves against predators.
They’re one of the few animals that can dig backward, which comes in handy when they are fleeing from their predators. They are also the only pigs with hair and they’re not just hairy; they’re shaggy.
Their diet consists of grasses, roots, fruits, insects as well as small animals. They basically eat everything thus contributing to the spread of seeds and fertilization of the ground through their droppings.
So next time you see a warthog, take a moment to appreciate them. They might not be the prettiest animal out there, but they sure are important creatures in our ecosystem.
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