Not a myth, My shame babirusa has been found again

Babirusa Maluku (Babyrousa babyrussa) also known as Baburusa tualangio by the local people. This animal has thicker and longer hair than other types of babirusa. other than that, The canines on the upper jaw of males are shorter and slender and cross with the lower jaws on the sides of the mouth. The distinctive feature of this animal is the tassels on the tail which are clearly more pronounced than the Sulawesi Babirusa (B. celebensis) and Babirusa Togean (B. togeanesis). Babyrousa spp. included in CITES Appendix I, meaning that the specimens are prohibited to be traded, either in the form of living and or dead and or their parts and derivative products. Meanwhile, according to the IUCN Red List, Maluku Babirusa is included in the vulnerable category (Vurnerable) with a population trend that continues to decline. In Indonesia alone, The animal is included in the list of protected animals.

Hunting island as a habitat for babirusa

The distribution of the Maluku Babirusa identified includes the Sula Islands (Mangole Island), Taliabu Island, and Buru Island. Its presence on Buru Island was first confirmed by the discovery of a babirusa skull in 1997. The skull came from a hunter around Mount Kapalatmada, Buru Island. Survey conducted since 1995 I have never found the Maluku Babirusa directly except for the traces and the skull. Even in the Maluku BKSDA intensive survey in conservation areas in 2011-2013, did not find direct evidence of findings. This makes the existence of babirusa on Buru Island often considered a myth. These animals also like to isolate themselves in highland areas so that they are increasingly difficult to find.

In November 2019, the Maluku BKSDA team on patrol found the skull and bones of a babirusa in the Masbait Nature Reserve area. The patrol started with information from the local community about the encounter of the babirusa in the mountainous area. other than that, there is a local myth that the babirusa will appear to show a way out for people who are lost in the forest also indirectly strengthen the information on Buru Island as the habitat of the Babirusa. This makes the Maluku BKSDA attempt to obtain direct evidence of the existence of babirusa on Buru Island.

Recorded trap camera

Research efforts on the existence of the Maluku Babirusa on Buru Island continue and receive support from the Directorate of Biodiversity Conservation – Directorate General of KSDAE through Project EPASS (Enhancing the Protected Area System in Sulawesi for Biodiversity Conservation) Year 2020, by donating survey equipment in the form of 20 fruit camera traps and 1 GPS pieces to the Maluku KSDA Hall. Eventually the installed trap camera paid off, The original form of the Maluku Babirusa on Buru Island has been recorded alive for the first time.

Maluku BKSDA installed as many as 10 camera traps on 7 different locations from April to June 2021. This installation location is adjusted to the animal track area, namely the wallowing or playing area, salt place (saltlicks), as well as a place to find food. Of all those cameras, 9 camera traps managed to capture the presence of the Maluku Babirusa. This is of course good news as well as proving that the existence of these animals on Buru Island is not just a myth. Furthermore, the babirusa conservation program will be carried out as well as further research on the population and its habitat and ecology. other than that, Surveys will also be conducted on other habitats such as Mangole Island and Taliabu Island to prove the presence of the Maluku Babirusa.

Camera traps installed by the Maluku KSDA Hall also captured several pictures of other types of animals, such as the Moluccan Gosong (Eulopia wallacei), Arika Bird (Gallicrex cinerea), Burnt Dark (Megaphodius freycinet buruensis), Weasel/Rase (Viverra tangalunga), The lizard (Varanus salvatori), russia timor (Timorensis deer), and the Sulawesi Wild Boar (Sus celebensis).

Source :

• https://www.cnnindonesia.com/teknologi/20210721132456-199-670309/mengenal-babirusa-hewan-mitos-maluku-yang-akhirnya-ditemukan/1
• https://betahita.id/news/detail/6355/babirusa-maluku-berhasil-ditemukan-kembali.html?v=1626818527
• https://mediaindonesia.com/humaniora/418992/bukan-mitos-babirusa-liar-ditemukan-di-hutan-di-pulau-buru

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