Babirusa
The babirusa (pig deer, Babyrousa babyrussa), a pig-like animal, is distantly related to the hippo and restricted to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Babirusa stand 65–80 centimeters high, are often nearly hairless, and range in color from off-white to brown. The upper and lower canine teeth of the male curve toward the forehead, forming four prominent tusks that are used in fights over females and territory. Babirusa are nocturnal and eat fruit, coconuts, and beetles. Babirusa have a complex stomach, like cattle, rather than a simple one like pigs. This observation has given rise to a suggestion that they chew the cud, meaning that their meat might be halal (permitted for Muslims), but recent research suggests this is not the case.
Further Reading
Whitten, Anthony J., Muslimin Mustafa, and Gregory S. Henderson. (1987) The Ecology of Sulawesi. Yogyakarta, Indonesia: Gadjah Mada University Press.
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