Plural of babirusa; wild pig-like animals from Indonesia with characteristic long tusks that curve upward and backward.
From Malay 'babirusa' or 'babi rusa,' where 'babi' means 'pig' and 'rusa' means 'deer.' The name reflects the animal's unusual appearance, combining pig and deer-like features, which locals noticed when naming it.
Babirusas are among the weirdest pigs you've never heard of—their tusks actually grow upward through the skin of their snout, and they use them like hooks to climb trees, making them totally unlike any other pig on Earth.
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