North Sulawesi babirusa North Sulawesi babirusa The North Sulawesi babirusa, "Babyrousa celebensis", is a pig-like animal native to Sulawesi and some nearby islands (Lembeh, Buton and Muna) in Indonesia. It has two pairs of large tusks composed of enlarged canine teeth. The upper canines penetrate the top of the snout, curving back toward the forehead. The North Sulawesi babirusa is threatened from hunting and deforestation. The common and scientific names are various transcriptions of its local name, which literally translated means "pig-deer" (from Indonesian "babi", "pig" + "rusa", "deer" – see also Javan rusa) in reference to the huge tusks of the male
Babirusa to Sulawesi, some of the Togian Islands, the Sula Islands and Buru. In Sulawesi, they range from the northern peninsula to the south and south east provinces. Although babirusas are present on both Sulawesi and Sula, they are not found on the large islands between the two, the Banggai Archipelago. It has been hypothesized that the unusual distribution is due to their being transported by humans as gifts bestowed by native royalty. The preferred habitat of babirusa are tropical rainforests along river banks. It appears that they have been confined to the higher grounds in the interior despite occurring in