Rare 'Deer-Pig' Born at UK Zoo Offers Hope for Species Found only on Four Indonesian Islands

Rare 'deer-pig' born at UK zoo offers hope for species found only on four Indonesian islands

The U.K.'s Chester Zoo welcomed Rana, a rare baby babirusa whose significance goes beyond her small size.  The "deer-pig" may help support the future of a species nearing extinction. What happened? As the zoo reported in its announcement of Rana's birth, the International Union for Conservation of Nature considers babirusas vulnerable to extinction. The species exists only on four small islands in Indonesia, Sula, Buru, Sulawesi, and Togian. Wil…

Rare Piglet Born At Chester Zoo As African Swine Fever Pushes Species Towards Extinction

A critically important piglet has been born at Chester Zoo, as conservationists warn her species is being wiped out in the wild by African swine fever. Little Rana is a babirusa - sometimes called the 'pig-deer' - a species found on just four Indonesian islands.