A noticeable characteristic of the Babirusa is the tusk on male Babirusa. The tusk pierces through the facial skin. Their numbers are declining because of hunting and deforestation.
Body length: 87-110cm
Tail length: 20-32cm
Weight: 60-100kg
(Source: Doubutsu Sekai-isan* Red Data Animals Kodansha) (*World Animal Heritage)
The Babirusa lives in the forests of Indonesia and the Philippine Islands.
They eat fruits that have fallen to the ground, and insects.
Babirusas like to bathe in mud. It really is a bath for the Babirusa because this is how they remove parasites from their skin.
Tusks grow from their face?!
The Babirusa belongs to the Suidae (wild boar) family and lives only in Indonesia and the Philippine Islands. The tusk on the male Babirusa is their most prominent feature. The canine tooth on the upper jaw pierces the skin on their face and then bows back toward the face. There is no scientific explanation as to why the tusk, which looks like a horn, exists. Unfitting to their stern look, the Babirusa have very cautious or vigilant personalities, and will quickly run away if approached by humans.
Hunted by guns and deprived of their homes...
People have always eaten the Babirusa. But even traditional forms of hunting using traps would never have pushed the Babirusa to the brink of extinction. Their numbers took a sharp dive as people gained possession of guns. Additionally, the Babirusa lost its habitat and source for food when forests were cut down to make farmlands and pastures for livestock. At this rate, they may soon become extinct.
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