The Borneo Bearded Pig is a wild boar that mainly lives on the Indonesian island of Kalimantan (also known as Borneo). Its main feature is the white beard-like hair on its face. Researchers found that since African swine fever was introduced to Kalimantan in 2021, the number of bearded pigs in Borneo has decreased by more than 90%.
Bornean bearded pigs are known as the "engineers" of ecosystems, turning over soil so trees can get more nutrients. The British "Guardian" recently reported that in addition to the serious threat from African swine fever, Bornean bearded pigs also face human hunting. Researchers believe the spread of African swine fever among Bornean wild boar populations has not received enough attention. Wood, an epidemiologist at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, said that African swine fever should be prevented from spreading further in Southeast Asian countries, especially through live pigs and processed pork products, otherwise its impact will far exceed the harm to the livestock breeding industry.
Bornean bearded pigs are known as the "engineers" of ecosystems, turning over soil so trees can get more nutrients. The British "Guardian" recently reported that in addition to the serious threat from African swine fever, Bornean bearded pigs also face human hunting. Researchers believe the spread of African swine fever among Bornean wild boar populations has not received enough attention. Wood, an epidemiologist at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, said that African swine fever should be prevented from spreading further in Southeast Asian countries, especially through live pigs and processed pork products, otherwise its impact will far exceed the harm to the livestock breeding industry.