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
North Sulawesi babirusa male babirusa. In females, the canines are far shorter and typically do not protrude. In comparison, the Buru babirusa has relatively long, thick body hair, a well-developed tail-tuft, and relatively short and slender upper canines in males, while the Togian babirusa is larger, has a relatively well-developed tail-tuft, and the upper canines of the male are "short, slender, rotated forwards, and always converge". Its habitat is the underbrush of tropical forests and canebrakes, and the shores of rivers and lakes. Its mostly-hairless, mottled-grey-and-brown hide provide it with a degree of camouflage. The North Sulawesi Babirusa is known for its two