Rare ‘pig deer’ born at zoo to help save species from extinction

By Ed Chatterton

A rare baby "pig-deer" has been born at a U.K. zoo in a boost for a critically endangered species teetering on the brink of extinction.

The bizarre-looking babirusa piglet, named Rana, arrived at Chester Zoo as conservationists warn the animals are being wiped out in the wild by a deadly outbreak of African swine fever.

When she was born in May, Rana weighed just a few hundred grams and was described by keepers as looking like a "grapefruit with legs."

She's the fifth piglet born to mother Matano, who was born at Chester Zoo 11 years ago and now has descendants living in zoos across Europe.

Babirusas are a species found on just four Indonesian islands, and until recently they were considered vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

But they will shortly be uplisted to critically endangered after wild populations went into rapid decline as a result of swine fever reaching the islands about five years ago.

Experts fear the disease could push babirusas toward extinction if action isn't taken and Rana's birth is being hailed as "critically important" for the vulnerable species.

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."

Babirusa pregnancies are remarkably predictable, with births at Chester Zoo arriving after exactly 161 days of gestation.

Keepers began preparing for the arrival after spotting Matano with male babirusa Bamm Bamm earlier this year.

She was given a quiet den and extra bedding before giving birth.

Unlike most pigs, babirusas usually produce just one or two offspring at a time, meaning populations recover slowly after disease outbreaks or other threats.

To avoid disturbing the nervous new mom, zoo staff monitored Rana and Matano remotely on a baby monitor until the pair were ready to be seen in public.

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."

Chester Zoo conservationist Amy Humphreys is working with the Action Indonesia program, to understand the scale of the crisis facing wild babirusas.

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."