- Researchers have used camera traps on the island of Java, Indonesia to capture what they say is the first-ever footage of the Javan warty pig in the wild.
- Sometimes referred to as “the world’s ugliest pig” because of the eponymous warts that grow on its face, the Javan warty pig (Sus verrucosus) has seen its numbers decline precipitously over the past few decades, leading to fears that it might be locally extinct in a number of locations and perhaps even on the brink of extinction as a species.
- The Javan warty pig is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to a drastic population decline, “estimated to be more than 50% over the last three generations (approximately 18 years).”
Researchers have used camera traps on the island of Java, Indonesia to capture what they say is the first-ever footage of the Javan warty pig in the wild.
Sometimes referred to as “the world’s ugliest pig” because of the eponymous warts that grow on its face, the Javan warty pig (Sus verrucosus) has seen its numbers decline precipitously over the past few decades, leading to fears that it might be locally extinct in a number of locations and perhaps even on the brink of extinction as a species.
But researchers with the Chester Zoo in the UK have now recorded a total of 17 videos that clearly show Javan warty pigs at two different sites on Java. You can see some of that footage here:
The Javan warty pig is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List due to a drastic population decline, “estimated to be more than 50% over the last three generations (approximately 18 years),” driven primarily by destruction of its preferred habitat in stands of teak forest and similar forest or plantation areas. The pigs are also hunted for sport and frequently killed in retaliation for raiding local communities’ crops at night.
“There are no estimates of overall population size, but the species has shown a rapid population decline in recent decades,” the IUCN reports. “Compared to a survey conducted in 1982, 17 of the 32 (53%) populations are extinct or have dropped to low encounter rate levels.”
There were originally three subspecies of Sus verrucosus, but one of them, S. v. olivieri, found on the island of Madura, is now believed to be extinct. Researchers proposed upgrading another, S. v. blouchi, found on Bawean Island, to full species status in 2011, but it is still treated as a subspecies pending further study of its genetics. S. verrucosus is the subspecies endemic to the island of Java.
Compounding the threats to S. verrucosus, it’s believed that the pig’s continued existence might also be jeopardized by hybridization with European wild pigs, which can also be found on Java.
Johanna Rode-Margono, South East Asia Field Programme Coordinator for the Chester Zoo, led the study that used camera traps, nocturnal forest surveys, and interviews with locals to locate the last Javan warty pigs.
“Javan warty pigs are of a similar body size to European wild boar but are a bit more slender and have longer heads. Males have three pairs of enormous warts on their faces. It is these characteristics that have led to them being affectionately labelled as ‘the world’s ugliest pig’ but, certainly to us and our researchers, they are rather beautiful and impressive,” Rode-Margono said in a statement.
“Indeed the Javan warty pig is a special animal. They are unique and can only be found in Java. Little is known about them and that very fact means we need to preserve them. We just don’t know what havoc it could wreak for other wildlife if they go extinct.”
Shafia Zahra, a Program Manager at the Chester Zoo who is leading the field surveys in Java, noted that there are currently no protections for the Javan warty pig under Indonesian law.
Between June 2016 and May 2017, Zahra led surveys of seven locations across Java that were previously identified by local communities as still potentially harboring Javan warty pigs. The species was found in just four of those locations, meaning that it is likely extinct in the other three, according to Zahra and team.
“Sadly the pigs are freely hunted — not just for crop protection but often as a hobby and a sport,” Zahra said. “Yes, they may be ‘ugly’ but no animal deserves to become extinct because of human activity.”
The Chester Zoo researchers are conducting a second study to estimate the exact size of the Javan warty pig population, assess the impact that hunting is having on the species, and examine the threat posed by hybridization with non-native wild boars. They hope that their findings will help inform conservation efforts to protect what’s left of the Javan warty pig population.
CITATION
• Semiadi, G., Rademaker, M. & Meijaard, E. (2016). Sus verrucosus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T21174A44139369. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T21174A44139369.en. Downloaded on 18 January 2018.