Zoo Miami welcomes endangered ‘pig deer’ to the 305. See the newborn babirusa for yourself

David Goodhue
·1 min read

Zoo Miami welcomed the birth of a rare and endangered wild pig native to the swamps and rain forests of Indonesia last month.

The baby babirusa was born Dec. 15 and remains in isolation at the zoo with its mother, according to a press release.

A male babirusa, a type of Indonesian wild pig, displays its unique sets of antlers.
A male babirusa, a type of Indonesian wild pig, displays its unique sets of antlers.

Because males develop antlers not only on the tops of their heads — but also a second row on their lower jaws that curl up and away from their heads — the zoo calls the babirusa “the strangest looking” of the world’s roughly 20 species of wild swine.

The name babirusa means “pig deer” in Malay, the zoo notes.

The sex of the newborn has not been determined, according to the zoo, adding this is the first babirusa to be born there.

A baby and mother babirusa stand in a lot at Zoo Miami. The baby was born on Dec. 15, 2023.
A baby and mother babirusa stand in a lot at Zoo Miami. The baby was born on Dec. 15, 2023.

Mom is a 5-year-old named Maggie, and the dad is an almost-5-year-old named Harry. They came to Zoo Miami from the St. Luis Zoo and Audubon Zoo respectively.

The lifespan in the wild for the babirusa is about 10 years old, and they can live up to 20 years in captivity, according to the zoo.