One of the most fascinating and peculiar wild pigs in the world, native to the Indonesian islands of Buru, Sula, and nearby islets in the Maluku region. At first glance, it doesn’t look like your typical wild boar—its body is slimmer, its skin is nearly hairless, and its legs are longer and more deer-like, giving it a rather unusual appearance. But the most striking feature of the Buru babirusa, and all babirusas, is its extraordinary tusks. In males, the upper canines grow upward through the snout and curve back toward the forehead, while the lower canines also grow dramatically long. These tusks can look almost otherworldly, like antlers sprouting from a pig’s face.

Its finer coat and straighter tusks make the Buru babirusa different from its close relatives, such as the North Sulawesi babirusa. While other babirusas are almost completely hairless, the Buru babirusa has a noticeable brownish or golden hair covering, making it look shaggier and giving it a slightly “softer” appearance. Though still long and dramatic, its tusks are straighter than those of the Sulawesi species, which curve more wildly. These differences may seem small, but they are enough to distinguish the Buru babirusa as its own species. This uniqueness highlights how island life in Indonesia has shaped animals in strange and wonderful ways, with each island often having its own distinct species.

Unlike domestic pigs, however, babirusas are not natural rooters—they don’t dig much with their snouts. Instead, they carefully browse leaves and fallen fruit from the forest floor. This feeding style and their longer legs make them seem more like forest deer than typical boars. They are also excellent swimmers, able to cross rivers and even straits between islands, which may explain how they spread across the Maluku archipelago.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Indonesia

<10,000

Official estimate

VU

2008