Assam's pygmy hog population climbs to 194 from six in 1996
Assam's captive breeding programme has raised the pygmy hog population from six in 1996 to 194, with a target of 300 by 2040.
The population of the endangered pygmy hog (Porcula salvania), a species once believed to be extinct, has risen from six individuals in 1996 to 194, according to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. He described the recovery as a "big comeback" for a "small hog", crediting decades of dedicated conservation work.
The pygmy hog, which stands about 25 cm tall and weighs up to 9.7 kg, is the world's smallest and rarest wild pig. It is found nowhere else in India and serves as an indicator of grassland health.
"The goal is to increase their number to 300 by 2040 so that the species can thrive on its own," Sarma said on Saturday.
The conservation effort traces its origins to 1971, when British naturalist Gerald Durrell and his trust initiated work on the species, leading to the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP). The programme is a collaboration involving the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust of the United Kingdom, the Assam Forest Department, the Wild Pig Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Assam-based biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak and Ecosystems India are implementing it.
The captive breeding initiative began after conservationists captured six pygmy hogs from the Bansbari range of Manas National Park in 1996 and moved them to a breeding facility on the southern edge of Guwahati. Reintroductions into the wild started in 2008, and the mammals are now found in the Sonai-Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary, Orang National Park, and Manas National Park.