Babirusa actually pierce the flesh in the snout. All species of babirusa are listed as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), shown on their Red List since at least 2010 and current in 2017. The genus is monotypic within the subfamily Babyrousinae, or alternatively considered to form a tribe, Babyrousini, of the subfamily Suinae. To date, only one fossil skull has been found to suggest a larger ancestor. All members of the genus were considered part of a single species until recently, the babirusa or pig-deer, "B. babyrussa", but following the split into several species, this scientific
The Wild Animal Sanctuary donated merchandise, brought in more volunteers, and started a program of sponsoring individual animals. By 2007 the sanctuary was using of its site for rescued animal habitats. By 2010 it had of habitats. In February 2011, the sanctuary, in cooperation with Animal Defenders International, Bob Barker, and the Bolivian government (which had recently enacted legislation outlawing performing wild animals), received 25 lions from circuses in Bolivia that had typically housed the lions in crates for transport. The sanctuary built a fabric covered structure isolated from the main facility to house the lions while they got acclimated to the Colorado climate,