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Spotlight of the Month - The Babirusa

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:spotlight-left:This month we bring you the babirusa!:spotlight-right:

Introduction to the species
The babirusa, a widely unknown member of the pig family, who can only be found on the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi, Togian, Burn and Sulu. The body length lies between 0.9 and 1.1 m (3 - 3.7 ft), the tail length between 27 - 32 cms (10.5 - 12.5 inches) and they weigh up to 100 kgs (220 lbs). The large, curled tusks of the males immediately catch the eye and have earned the babirusa it's name, which can be directly translated into “pig-deer”, referring to their appearance as a mix between a pig and a deer. The native Indonesians have also used the fierce look of the males as a model for their demonic masks and figures.

There are four species of babirusa. The best known and most researched species is the North Sulawesi babirusa, Babyrousa celebensis. It is typically found in tropical rainforests along riverbanks and lakes, where there is an abundance of aquatic plants it can feed on. Once it favoured low-lying areas, but loss of habitat and human activities have forced it to retreat to higher and less accessible ground.
Babirusas are known to eat a variety of plants and plant parts, such as roots, leaves, fruits and nuts, but they are omnivores and have been observed to eat small mammals. They like to gather around hot springs or volcanic vents, which function like salt licks and might be a source of sodium for the babirusa. The hot springs also serve as a place for social interaction like courtship or combat.

Although males often live in solitude, babirusas are social animals, who gather in groups of up to thirteen animals. They reproduce at a rather slow pace, with each litter consisting of only one or two uniformly brown piglets. Sows who live in Zoos may produce up to two litters yearly, but as diet or seasonal factors are likely to influence the birth intervals, they are likely to be less frequent in the wild. Babirusan life expectancy in the wild lies between 7-12 years, in captivity however they can live for as long as 24 years.

Threats and conservation
Currently all the extant species of babirusas are considered vulnerable to extinction and the Indonesian Government has enacted a number of laws, making it illegal to hunt, kill or deal with babirusa produce. Still, the widespread lack of public awareness and understanding of the problem has allowed large areas of North-east Sulawesi to be stripped of babirusa, as a direct result of hunting and habitat loss.

* There is a rising demand for wild pig meat on Sulawesi and the surrounding islands, where the inhabitants are mostly Christian (in a country otherwise predominantly Muslim). Most of the meat comes from the more commonly occurring Sulawesi warty pig. The babirusa represents a by-catch, but since the same price is paid for the meat of either species, hunters have no incentive to catch one pig in preference to the other.

*Another increasing threat to the babirusa is the loss of their natural habitat through large commercial and local scale logging operations. The once preferred habitat of lowland forest has been reduced to less then 25 percent of its original size and is still declining.

*There are a number of national parks, who act as safe havens for the babirusas, but they are no long-term solution. Due to man-made barriers, like commercial farming and timber extraction, these parks have become increasingly isolated from each other. Without animals wandering between them to cross-breed, the residing populations will become increasingly inbred. If no solution is found to this situation, there is a greatly enhanced risk that the species will not survive in the wild. There are a number of zoos that keep babirusas and have successfully bred them, but since there are so few animals, they have become heavily inbred.

What you can do:
Today there are only about 5000 babirusa left in the world. To ensure their survival in the wild various things are being done and still need to be done:

* Don't buy babirusa produce or eat at restaurants who offer dishes with babirusa flesh.

* Spread the word and raise awareness.
It is vital to educate about the babirusa's vulnerability, especially among the local people and those, who deal with babirusa produce or demand pork on their dinner table. Babirusas have always been rare and there is no way that the populations can keep up with the increasing demand for their flesh. There is no need to force anyone to stop eating pork, but it doesn't have to be as often or come from the babirusa.

* Sign petitions to stop large scale deforestation.
Deforestation of the rainforests has a devastating impact not only on the babirusa, but on thousands of other species, as well as the planet's own ability to counteract the greenhouse effect. Another consequence from deforestation is that the ground becomes directly exposed to massive erosion through wind and water. Without roots to keep the soil in place and foliage to shade it, it dries up more easily and gets carried away by wind or washed away by water. This causes the soil to become less and less fertile, until it is no longer capable of supporting plant life. Another more imminent result of excessive erosion are death-bringing land- and mudslides, that occur especially after heavy rainfall. [link]

* Eco-tourism and donating money
Since babirusas aren't cute or charismatic by our standards, it's hard to find a public organization, who is entirely devoted to babirusa-preservation. However, you can still help these impressive creatures indirectly by promoting eco-tourism, donate money to national parks where babirusas are known to live or you can visit your local zoo and check if it has a breeding program there or other projects that you can support. [link] [link] [link]

Curious facts:
* The remarkable tusks of the male are actually the babirusa’s upper canines, which penetrate through the skin of the nose and then curve over the face towards the forehead. They are probably used for marking activities, and not for “interlocked tooth” wrestling matches as they are too fragile for that kind of action.
* Natives believe that the babirusa hangs by its tusks from the branches of trees at night.
* Unlike most members of the pig-family, the babirusa doesn't have a rostral bone in the nose. Because of this it doesn't root with its snout like other pigs do, unless the ground is very soft and muddy.
* Prior to giving birth, the female constructs a rather defined nest; measuring up to three metres long and 25 centimetres deep. This nest is formed from branches torn from trees and bushes.
* The sow only possesses one pair of teats.

Sources:
Photo by Barry Zee: [link]
Macdonald, Alastair A. (20. September 2005) The Conservation of the Babirusa (Babyrousa babyroussa) in: N. Sugiri, A.H. Mustari, I.S. Suwelo & I. Djuwita (Eds.) Kumpulan makalah seminar sehari peduli anoa dan babirusa Indonesia, Bogor, Institut Pertanian Bogor, Bodor, Indonesia Pp 90-111
arkive.org [link]
wikipedia.org [link] [link] [link]
marvell.org.uk [link]
theanimalfiles.com [link]
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Comments2
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MistahBoosh's avatar
Omg, they're so cute! ^^