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Pigs: Suidae

Conservation Status

The babirusa and the Philippine warty hog are Vulnerable, facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. The Javan pig is Endangered, facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild. The pygmy hog and the Visayan warty pig are Critically Endangered, facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. There is no enough data about the Vietnam warty pig, but it may be extinct, died out.

GOOD NEWS FOR THE BABIRUSA

In February 2004, the Paguyaman Forest increased in size from 120 square miles (311 square kilometers) to 200 square miles (518 square kilometers). This forest is on Sulawesi, the island home to most of the remaining babirusa population.

In addition, a poacher, illegal hunter, was prosecuted in 2002 for participating in illegal trade. Such prosecution had never taken place before that, and it has served to discourage other would-be poachers. As a result, the number of babirusas sold weekly in the local markets fell from fifteen in 1991 to two in 2004.

The main threats to these wild pigs are hunting and loss of habitat. Although some pigs are protected by law from hunting, those laws are not well enforced.

Additional topics

Animal Life ResourceMammalsPigs: Suidae - Physical Characteristics, Habitat, Behavior And Reproduction, Pigs And People, Conservation Status, Forest Hog (hylochoerus Meinertzhageni): Species Accounts - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, DIET