A rare babirusa piglet, described as being the size of a “grapefruit with legs” at birth, has made her public debut at Chester Zoo.
Named Rana, the endangered animal is a babirusa, also known as a “pig-deer”. Conservationists say her birth is an important boost for a species facing a sharp decline in the wild.
Wild babirusas are found on only four Indonesian islands. Chester Zoo said their numbers have been severely affected by habitat pressures and the spread of African swine fever to the islands around five years ago.
Hannah Owens, from Chester Zoo, said Rana was “tiny” when she was born but had “grown a lot and is doing really well”.
Babirusas were previously classified as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, external. However, Chester Zoo said the species is expected to be reclassified as “critically endangered”.
Rana is the fifth piglet born to her mother, Matano. Born at Chester Zoo 11 years ago, Matano has since helped establish a family line with descendants now living in zoos across Europe.
Owens said babirusas “are doing well in our care”, but wild populations were “radically reducing”. She warned that it would be “horrendous if they disappeared” because they are “amazing, charismatic animals”.
She added: “Piglets like Rana are a lifeline for the species.”
Unlike domestic pigs, babirusas usually produce only one or two piglets at a time rather than large litters. This means their populations can take much longer to recover after suffering major losses in the wild.
Because new mothers are particularly sensitive to disturbance, Chester Zoo keepers monitored Rana and Matano remotely using a baby monitor. The pair were introduced to visitors only when they were ready to appear in public.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk