BABIRUSA
Babyrousa babyrussa

Where to find me: Indonesia — North Celebes, Togian Island, Bum Island and the Sula Islands.

My backyard: They prefer a habitat of moist forests, cane brakes and the shores of rivers and lakes.

Mmmmm, dinner! Their diet consists of roots, berries, grubs and anything else small enough to eat - sometimes even birds and insects. Males do most of the rooting while females and young follow behind to eat.

A face only a mother could love! Babirusas are approximately four feet long with a one-foot-long tail. They can weigh over 200 lbs. Their skin is rough and almost devoid of hair. In most wild swine, the tusks grow from the side of the jaw, but in male babirusas, the upper tusks grow through the top of the muzzle and then curve backward toward the skull between the eyes.

Reproduction: The young are born in the early part of the year and are not striped like other pigs. Most litters only have two piglets because the sow has only one pair of teats. The gestation period is 125-150 days.

We stick around over 10 years in captivity.

Some 411: The young are often captured and kept as pets. They are also hunted for their meat. Although the tusks look threatening, their positioning makes them ineffective weapons.

Status: Threatened.

*Roger Williams Park Zoo is a participant in the Species Survival Program, a cooperative effort by zoos to manage the population of rare and endangered animals. Read more.

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