Chester Zoo is celebrating the birth of a babirusa piglet, named Rana, as conservationists warn the species is being wiped out in the wild by African swine fever. The piglet, described as the size of a "grapefruit with legs" at birth, is a lifeline for a species facing extinction.
Rare birth at Chester Zoo
Rana is a babirusa, sometimes called the "pig-deer," a species found on just four Indonesian islands. They were considered vulnerable to extinction until recently by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but they will shortly be uplisted to Critically Endangered.
Since African swine fever reached the islands around five years ago, wild populations have gone into rapid decline. Experts fear the disease could push babirusas towards extinction if action isn't taken.
Keepers' concerns and care
Assistant team manager at Chester Zoo Hannah Owens 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."
Owens added: "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 unusually predictable, with almost every birth at Chester Zoo arriving after exactly 161 days of gestation. Unlike most pigs, babirusas typically have just one or two piglets at a time rather than large litters - one reason their numbers recover slowly when wild populations are hit hard.
New mothers are also highly sensitive to disturbance, so keepers kept an eye on Rana and Matano remotely via a baby monitor until the pair were ready to be seen in public.
Conservation efforts in Indonesia
Amy Humphreys, a conservationist at Chester Zoo, is part of Action Indonesia, which is contributing to the Indonesian government's new plan to save babirusas in the wild. She 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."
Humphreys added: "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."
More information can be found on the Chester Zoo website.
