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The wild pig with a dental problem
The Babirusa is a long-legged, almost hairless, wild pig
found in Indonesia. Its upper canine teeth or tusks curve
back and grow up through the top of its muzzle instead of
growing out of the side of the mouth! In the native
language, Babirusa really means pig-deer. This is because
its tusks look more like the antlers of a deer than the
tusks of a pig.
There is a common belief that the Babirusa can hang
suspended by its curved tusks from the branch of a tree
when it wants a safe place to sleep at night. Of course,
this is not true.
It has the smallest litter size amongst pigs. A good
swimmer, it has been able to colonise many islands
scattered along the coast of southeast Asia. The Babirusa
lives in small herds, foraging on forest floors for food.
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