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In Sulawesi, tropical forests and sea are home to many endemic species. Here is a guide to discover Sulawesi’s beautiful biodiversity.
The babirusa is a wild pig. It is an endemic animal of Sulawesi. It is easily recognizable by its curved back teeth, sometimes so long in males they could be mistaken for its horns. Babirusa mainly live in tropical rainforest, near rivers or lakes. To protect themselves from heat they spend their day mud bathing.
Another animal of Sulawesi if the anoa, endemic to the archipelago. It is the smallest bovid in the world. Like Asian buffaloes, anoas like to bath in water or mud. They are endangered because of the intensive hunting, there are now only 2500 wild anoas.
Little known, this endemic bird species of Sulawesi is endangered. Its feathers are dark blue from neck to tail, only the chest is light pink. Maleo bird buries its eggs in volcanic sand so it is very easy to hunt them and young birds must be independent from birth, very little survive.
Cuscus bear is an iconic animal of Sulawesi. It is a marsupial living in the trees of Sulawesi’s rainforest. It has thick brown fur and a long hairless tail which allows the bear to move easily from branch to branch. Cuscus bear spends most of its time sleeping and digesting. Like many other animals of Sulawesi, it is threatened by deforestation and hunt.
Called Yaki by the Indonesians, Celebes crested macaque is one of the most beautiful animals of Sulawesi. This ape lives in the Northern part of the island and in Tangkoko reserve. Its fur is entirely black and it is very easily recognizable by its crest standing on the top of its head. Unfortunately, just like the other endemic species in Sulawesi, the Celebes crested macaque is endangered.
The tarsier is the smallest primate in the world. It is only 10 centimetres high and weighs about 120 grams. One might say tarsiers look like little Yoda because of their big eyes. Long threatened by domestication and tourism, tarsier was considered an endangered species in the 1980s and is now a protected animal of Sulawesi.
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