AN EXTREMELY rare animal has been born at a popular UK zoo as a deadly disease pushes the species towards extinction.

It was the size of a ‘grapefruit with legs’ when born weighing just a few hundred grams.

A critically important piglet, a Babirusa piglet, walking in a grassy, leafy area.Rana has been hailed a ‘lifeline’ for pig-deers Credit: Chseter Zoo / SWNS An adult pig and a piglet feeding on the ground.She is the fifth piglet born to mother Matano, an 11-year-old babirusa Credit: Chester Zoo / SWNS

Rana is a babirusa – an unusual species of pig so rare it is only found on four islands in Indonesia.

Tiny Rana was born at Chester Zoo just as a threatens to wipe out the species.

Bosses at the zoo said the rare ‘pig-deer’ animals are being wiped out due to African swine fever reaching the Indonesian islands five years ago.

Hannah Owens, assistant team manager at the zoo, said while pig-deers are doing well in captivity, they are “really struggling” in the wild.

“The numbers are radically reducing, and it would be horrendous if they disappeared,” she said.

The species was previously classed as Vulnerable but is set to be moved to Critically Endangered following a dramatic decline in numbers.

Hannah added that piglets like Rana were a “lifeline for the species.”

“Rana had ginger fuzz when she was born, but that’s gone now,” she added.

The animals are known as pig-deers because of their distinctive appearance.

The males feature unusual upper tusks which grow through their snout and curve backwards towards their face.

Rana is the fifth piglet born to mother Matano, an 11-year-old babirusa, who was also born at .