A critically important babirusa piglet has been born at Chester Zoo as conservationists warn the species is facing a growing threat of extinction in the wild.
The female piglet, named Rana, is a babirusa – sometimes known as a “pig-deer” – which is found naturally on just four Indonesian islands.
Babirusas have previously been classed as Vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but the species is now expected to be uplisted to Critically Endangered following a dramatic decline in wild populations.
Conservationists say African swine fever, which reached the Indonesian islands around five years ago, has had a devastating impact on the animals and could push the species towards extinction without urgent action.
Rana was described as being around the size of a “grapefruit with legs” when she was born, with babirusa piglets typically weighing between 300g and 500g at birth.
She is the fifth piglet born to 11-year-old mum Matano, who was herself born at Chester Zoo and now has descendants living at zoos across Europe.
Hannah Owens, Assistant Team Manager at Chester Zoo, said:
“This is the first babirusa birth we’ve had here for a few years, and Rana is a very special little lady. When she was born, she was tiny – about the size of a grapefruit, with legs. She’s grown a lot and is doing really well.
“While babirusas are doing well in our care, I’m worried because they are really struggling in the wild. The numbers are radically reducing, and it would be horrendous if they disappeared, because they are amazing, charismatic animals. Piglets like Rana are a lifeline for the species.”
Keepers were able to predict Rana’s arrival with unusual accuracy. Babirusa pregnancies at Chester Zoo have almost always lasted exactly 161 days, allowing the team to begin a countdown after Matano was seen mating with male Bamm Bamm earlier this year.
As the expected birth approached, Matano was given a quiet private space and additional bedding.
Unlike many other species of pig, babirusas usually give birth to only one or two piglets rather than large litters, meaning populations can take much longer to recover when their numbers fall.
New mothers can also be particularly sensitive to disturbance.
Keepers therefore monitored Matano and Rana remotely using a baby monitor following the birth, allowing the pair privacy until they were ready to venture out and be seen by visitors.
Hannah added:
“Babirusas are amazing. Their name means ‘pig-deer’ in Malay, because of their distinctive look. They’re much less hairy than other pigs – Rana had ginger fuzz when she was born, but that’s gone now. Males are the only pigs whose upper tusks erupt through the snout bone and curve back towards their face.”
The new arrival comes as Chester Zoo conservationists continue to work with organisations in Indonesia to protect the remaining wild populations.
The zoo is involved in the Action Indonesia Global Species Management Plans, which bring together conservationists working to safeguard some of Indonesia’s most threatened animals.
Its work has included helping to design camera-trapping projects monitoring babirusas on Sulawesi, supporting partner organisations attempting to locate and protect surviving populations and sharing conservation breeding expertise.
That knowledge has helped colleagues in Indonesia successfully breed at least 17 babirusas as part of national cooperative breeding targets.
Amy Humphreys, a conservationist at Chester Zoo, is part of Action Indonesia and is contributing to the Indonesian government’s new plan to protect babirusas in the wild.
She has also witnessed evidence of the species’ dramatic decline first-hand.
Amy said:
“We are in a race against time to understand what’s happening to the population. Babirusas are important to island ecosystems as they drop seeds as they forage, helping forest regeneration, and they are a key indicator species for overall ecosystem health, but their situation is bleak.
“We risk losing a truly unique species, one that’s an important part of Indonesia’s cultural and natural heritage and one of the oldest pig species still living. Because of all this, Rana’s arrival is worth celebrating. Her birth is a chance to shine a light on babirusas and show people why they deserve protection.”
A recent camera-trap study established on Sulawesi with support from Chester Zoo recorded just two occasions on which babirusas were photographed across the entirety of 2023 and 2024.
Rana’s birth therefore represents another important addition to the conservation breeding population at a time when the future of her species in the wild is becoming increasingly uncertain.
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