Lifespan24 years on average
Quick facts
DietTubers, leaves, mushrooms, fruits, insects and snails
HabitatForests & wetlands
RangeIndonesia, Buru and Sula Islands
The babirusa
![](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1 1"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Pig deer
'Babi' is the Malay word for pig and 'rusa' means deer. Thus 'babirusa' translates to 'pig deer'. Only the males have tusks. The upper tusks that grow through the snout of the babirusa look very much like the antlers of a deer, hence the animal's common name.
Together, we protect wildlife
Saving the babirusa's home
Threatened by rampant destruction of their rainforest habitat and illegal poaching for their meat, the babirusa is in grave danger of extinction in the wild. We support the Forest and Species Protection Patrol (Nantu Protection Units), who remove snares and traps and hand over illegal loggers to the authorities. By protecting the Nantu forest, we help ensure the babirusa’s habitat remains safe.
The IUCN Status
VU
Vulnerable
At high risk of extinction in the wild
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.
DD
Data Deficient
Unknown risk of extinction
LC
Least Concern
At relatively low risk of extinction
NT
Near Threatened
Likely to become vulnerable in the near future
VU
Vulnerable
At high risk of extinction in the wild
EN
Endangered
At very high risk of extinction in the wild
CR
Critically Endangered
At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
EW
Extinct in the Wild
Survives only in captivity
EX
Extinct
No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity
