Matano and Rana at the Chester Zoo. Photo Courtesy: Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo in the United Kingdom recently recorded the birth of a critically important babirusa, the so-called “pig-deer”. The birth comes at a critical moment as <a href="https://abs<a href="https://absafricatv.com/why-south-africa-is-the-most-exciting-wine-region-on-the-planet-part-i/” title=”Why South Africa is the Most Exciting Wine Region on the Planet, Part I”>africatv.com/investing-in-africa-themes-from-the-first-half-of-2026/” title=”Investing in Africa – themes from the first half of 2026″>African swine fever is threatening to wipe out the species found on just four Indonesian islands.
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.
Since African swine fever reached the islands around five years ago, wild populations have gone into rapid decline and if action is not taken, the babirusa could become extinct, fear experts.
‘A very special birth’
‘Rana’ as the baby babirusa has been named, was the size of a “grapefruit with legs” when she was born. Babirusa piglets typically weigh between 300 and 500 grams, according to a statement by the Zoo.
The baby is the fifth piglet born to mother Matano, who was herself born at Chester Zoo 11 years ago and now has descendants living in zoos across Europe.
Hannah Owens, Assistant Team Manager at Chester Zoo, said: “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 — almost every birth at Chester Zoo has arrived after exactly 161 days of gestation. Keepers began counting down once Matano was seen with male Bamm Bamm early this year, later giving her a quiet, private space and extra bedding to prepare for the birth.
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.
“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,” said Owens.
Amy Humphreys is a conservationist at Chester Zoo and is part of Action Indonesia that contributes to the Indonesian government’s new plan to save babirusas in the wild.
She witnessed the catastrophic drop in babirusa numbers reflected in a recent camera trap study set up in Sulawesi with Chester Zoo’s support. The study only recorded two instances where babirusas were photographed across the whole of 2023 and 2024.
“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.”
Amy Humphreys, conservationist at Chester Zoo
“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,” said Humphreys.
