Saving Banteng, Anoa and Babirusa
Saving Asian wild cattle: the challenge
Wild cattle and pigs are sometimes overlooked as focuses for conservation as their domesticated cousins are so plentiful. But, at the last population estimate, there were fewer than 2,500 lowland anoa in the wild, while fewer than 3,000 banteng may still roam the forests and grasslands of Southeast Asia.
Babirusa, a suid with distinctive, curling tusks, is a unique species of wild pig. There are likely fewer than 10,000 still in Indonesia, the only region they can be found. These species are registered as Endangered and Critically Endangered according to the IUCN Red List.
All three species are genetically distinct from domesticated livestock and play important roles in shaping and maintaining their wild habitats. However, they are under pressure from climate change, poaching, habitat loss and competition from farmed pigs and cattle, which can also pass on diseases to wild species.
The Action Indonesia Global Species Management Plans
We work to protect the crucial populations that remain in the wild. Our passionate conservationists at Chester Zoo, together with other international zoos, governments, conservationists and academics from all over the world, have joined forces to help reverse the effects of these threats.
Chester Zoo, the IUCN Species Survival Commission Asian Wild Cattle Specialist Group (IUCN SSC AWCSG) and the Indonesian Zoo and Aquaruim Association (PKBSI) are core supporters of the Action Indonesia Global Species Management Plans (GSMP).
These management plans draw on the skills, resources and expertise of the zoo community and conservationists in the field to protect these species.
Our goals are to maintain genetically healthy banteng, anoa and babirusa groups cared for in zoos and other sanctuaries, to use what we learn from these populations to educate the public about the importance of these species, and help coordinate conservation actions in the wild.
Cooperation, education and exchange
Meanwhile, we fund the AWCSG Chair and Amy Humphreys, Programme Coordinator to carry out crucial coordination work. The public education aspects of the plan are led by Chester Zoo’s Head of Conservation Education and Engagement, Charlotte Smith with the support of Ashleigh Marshall who is the Assistant Team Manager for Visitor Engagement. Members of our animal teams have contributed to improving and sharing husbandry knowledge within the partners involved with the GSMP.
Amy Humphreys coordinates the banteng European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) and International Studbook Book (ISB) and chairs the Husbandry Training Working Group, which supports skills sharing between keepers in zoos across the world to care for these special species though training, providing tailored advice and developing guidelines.
Effective conservation relies on cooperation, education and exchange. We have learned from the communities who live alongside wild cattle and pigs, and our experts provide online and in-person training and support to our colleagues in Indonesian zoos and National Parks.
In the wild
We also support population monitoring of banteng, anoa and babirusa in the wild, training partners to use camera traps to measure trends in populations over time and provide vital information on the way they use their habitat to help their protection and management in the future.
Every August, Chester Zoo are heavily involved in Action Indonesia Day which has been running since 2019. Led by Charlotte Smith and Ashleigh Marshall, we put together free learning resources and set up number of engaging activities with our zoo visitors. The day raises awareness around the issues facing wild cattle species, puts a spotlight on these lesser-known species that are threatened with extinction, and highlights how people can get involved to help save them. The date for Action Indonesia Day changes annually to fall on a Sunday in mid-August to align with Indonesia’s Independence Day.
This work is not limited to the UK: our education experts also work directly with the communities who live alongside babirusa, banteng and anoa, to help educate them on the importance of conserving this species, and how they can best pass on their learning.
Working together, we can give wild cattle and wild pigs the conservation attention they deserve.
Picture credit: Alas Purwo
