Conservationists at Chester Zoo are rejoicing after a rare babirusa piglet was born at the award-winning attraction.
One of a species living on only four islands in Indonesia, the Keepers have named the new arrival “Rana”. Babirusa are facing increasing threats from African swine fever and habitat loss, and are set to rise from being classed as “vulnerable to extinction” to “critically endangered”.
Rana is the fifth offspring born to Matano, a babirusa born in Chester Zoo in 2015. When born, babirusa piglets usually weigh somewhere between 300 to 500 grams. Pregnancies of the species are highly predictable, with close to every birth at Chester taking place precisely 161 days after gestation. Zookeepers started counting down after Matano was witnessed with Bamm Bamm, a resident male, early this year, and provided her with a private and quiet space equipped with additional bedding in preparation for the birth.
In contrast to most types of pig, babirusas usually have only one-to-two piglets per pregnancy rather than a large litter. Understandably, this is a factor in the slow recovery time when wild populations are severely impacted. New babirusa mothers are extremely sensitive to disturbance. As a result, keepers kept a close eye on Matano and Rana remotely using a baby monitor ahead of the pair being ready for the public to appreciate them.
Assistant Team Manager for Chester Zoo, Hannah Owens, said Rana was tiny at birth and compared her size to a grapefruit. Visitors to Chester can now see the new arrival and her mother together at the zoo, which is open seven days a week.