Indonesian babirusas

Indonesian babirusas Latest News

Recently, the Chester Zoo in the United Kingdom announced the birth of a critically important babirusa, when its population is threatened by the African swine fever. 

About Indonesian babirusas

• The babirusa is a wild pig commonly known as “pig-deer”, belonging to a genus called Babyrousa.
• Since 2001, scientists have since recognized three extant species: Buru babirusa (Babyrousa babyrussa), North Sulawesi babirusa (B. celebensis), Togian babirusa (B. togeanensis).
• Appearance: They’re much less hairy than other pigs. Males are the only pigs whose upper tusks erupt through the snout bone and curve back towards their face.
• Habitat: They can be found in moist, swampy forests and in the lush thickets of tropical rainforests.
• Distribution: They are found in the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi, Togian, Sula and Buru.
• Conservation Status: IUCN Red List: Vulnerable

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Characteristics of Indonesian babirusas

• They are among the fastest runners in the pig family, able to reach 30 miles per hour.
• They are excellent swimmers, preferring to live near bodies of water. 
• They are well known for their lower canine tusks which are possessed by both sexes, along with the upper canine tusks that grow only on males.
• Diet: Their diet includes fruits, plants and small animals.
• They use their specialised hooves to dig for insect larvae and roots in the ground.
• Reproduction: They become sexually mature after they reach one or two years of age.  Gestation in females lasts 155 to 158 days and ends with one or two piglets (which is a small litter for pigs).

Source: DTE