Babirusas — wild pig relatives from Sulawesi with distinctive curved tusks that grow through the snout — are rarely held in zoos but present unique welfare challenges related to tusk management and social needs.
Babirusas are understudied in captive settings, and welfare standards for the species are less developed than for more common zoo animals. Their primary welfare needs include access to natural foraging substrate, appropriate social groupings (males are often solitary), and monitoring of tusk growth to prevent self-injury. The species' rarity makes genetic management challenging — small captive populations have limited genetic diversity. Behavioral enrichment that promotes their natural rooting, exploration, and social behaviors is important for psychological wellbeing. Conservation of Sulawesi forests remains the most critical long-term welfare and survival intervention.