Information is taken from the game and may change or differ over time. Last updated .
Statistics
The North Sulawesi babirusa (or Babyrousa celebensis) is a species of pig native to the Sulawesi island of Indonesia and several small surrounding islands.
Its body is mostly hairless with grey skin.
The species has a head-body length of 85cm to 110cm, a tail length of 29cm to 32cm and a shoulder height of 58cm to 66cm. Male babirusas weigh between 70kg and 100kg and have four large tusks that curl back towards their skull. Female babirusas weigh between 45kg and 80kg.
- Babirusas have a two chambered stomach, more like that of sheep than of other pigs.
- The male babirusas tusks continue to grow throughout his life and can even grow into the skull.
- Babirusas are missing a bone in the snout that other pigs have, so they do not engage in ‘rooting’ behaviour typical of pigs.
- Babirusas are excellent swimmers; it is thought that they are found across various Indonesian islands because they swam to them.
Habitat
Minimum habitat requirements
Planned population
Space
Barrier
Terrain
Environment
Preferred group ranges
Social
Babirusa females tend to live in small groups made up of sisters and their offspring under two years old. Mature males live alone but will come alongside female groups in the mating season.
Barrel Feeder - Small
Dog Ball
Forage Box
Melon Feeder
Suspended Veggie Feeder
Cardboard Box
Herb Scent Marker
Mud Bath
Rubbing Pad
Rubbing Pad Bark
Small Ball
Small Ice Ball
SprinklerThriving relationships
0iNo compatible species
Release
Release requirements
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Maternal Family Group
Solitary Male
Conservation
The North Sulawesi babirusa is a Vulnerable species, undergoing significant regional population declines due to habitat loss, hunting pressure, and limited range. Babirusas are forest specialists and struggle to survive in heavily altered landscapes. Expanding agriculture, logging, and human settlement fragment forests the babirusa depends on, reducing food availability and safe breeding areas. They are intensively hunted for bushmeat and their unique tusks, which hold cultural and ornamental value.
Protected areas are critical refuges for remaining populations, where enforcement against poaching is improving. Education aims to reduce hunting by highlighting the babirusa’s ecological and cultural importance, and support alternative livelihoods to reduce reliance on bushmeat. Captive breeding programs, both within Indonesia and internationally, provide an additional safeguard against extinction and potential for reintroduction if wild populations continue to decline.
Together, these efforts protect the babirusa and preserve the broader ecosystems of Sulawesi, home to many endemic and endangered species.
Research
| Level | Unlocks | Bonus | Research gate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thriving Requirement 1: at least 5 objects or plants with the Bushes tag | ||
| 2 | Thriving Requirement 2: Water Surface Area; North Sulawesi Babirusa Fact Sheet | ||
| 3 | Release groups and release to the wild | ||
| 4 | Thriving Requirement 3: Food Grade 2; Fertility Level 1 | Fertility (+15%) | Before this level: an Observation Network (Observation Platform) in Sumatra Reserve and this species released in Sumatra Reserve |
| 5 | Thriving Requirement 4: at least 50% native plants | ||
| 6 | Thriving Requirement 5: Forage Box, at least 1; Fertility Level 2 | Fertility (+30%) |
Conservation topics
Life
Reproduction
Lifecycle
Body
66 cm
58 cm 85 kg 61.5 kgBreeding
Breeding season is year-round, but peaks around June and July. When the females are in oestrus, males will track them from the scent of their urine and follow them once located. If two males locate the same female, they may engage in a dominance display to win the rights to mate. They will vocalise, charge at each other and, if neither concedes, fight by standing on their hind legs and ‘boxing‘ with their front legs. Usually the larger male with the longer teeth will win.
After a pregnancy of 150 to 164 days, the female will give birth to 1 to 2 piglets. Piglets can eat solid food from 3 to 10 days after birth and will be fully weaned by 6 to 8 months old, or earlier if their mother falls pregnant again.
Males leave their mother’s group at 1 year old and will become solitary. Females may remain with their mother’s group or leave to start their own natal group. Both sexes will be sexually mature after 1 to 2 years.