Ten captive-bred pygmy hogs, the world’s smallest and rarest wild pig most threatened by extinction, have been released in Assam’s Manas National Park by the
Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP), taking the total number animals introduced in the Park so far to 36.
The current set of pygmy hogs, including seven females and three males, were released on Friday and Wednesday in the Rupahi grasslands in the Bhuyanpara range of the Park, and this is the third instance that the animals have successfully been introduced in Manas, according to a release issued by biodiversity conservation group ‘Aarayank’, a key partner of the programme, on Friday.
In 2020, 14 and in 2021, 12 hogs were released in the Park and the PHCP has set a target of 60 pygmy hogs in Manas by Rupahi grasslands in the Bhuyanpara range of Manas National Park, 2025.
With this release, the number of pygmy hogs reintroduced into the wild by the PHCP has reached 152 (70 males, 82 females) since 1996.
In 1996, six hogs were captured from the Bansbari range of Manas National Park to start the highly successful breeding programme and reintroduction of captive hogs in the wild began in 2008.
Initially, three protected Areas in their historical distribution range in Assam were selected for better protection and restoration of alluvial grasslands and over the next decade, 35 hogs (18 M, 17 F) were released in Sonai-Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, 59 (26 M, 33 F) in Orang National Park, and 22 (11 M, 11 F) in Barnadi Wildlife
Sanctuary.
The reintroductions in Orang have been particularly successful as they have multiplied almost two and a half times in number, and have spread to areas far from release locations.
As a part of its rewilding strategy, the PHCP will continue to maintain about 70 captive hogs at its two centers in Assam and breed more hogs for release.
Manas Field Director Dr Vaibhav Chandra Mathur said that the Pygmy Hog is a species which has been recovered from the verge of extinction in the wild.
” Manas Tiger Reserve serves as the source stock of hogs for the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme, this tranche of supplementation
with a captive bred population is going to strengthen conservation efforts especially for tall wet grasslands, for which the pygmy hog serves as an indicator species”, he said.
At the same time, this is an opportunity to develop scientifically and statistically robust monitoring protocols for the species, which are practically implementable in the field on a periodic basis, so that a pulse can be kept on pygmy hog numbers and their distribution status, he added.
In 1995, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Jersey, UK partnered with Assam government’s forest department, IUCN, Wild Pig Specialist Group and the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate changes formed the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP).
Currently, the project is being implemented with the PHCP’s key partner, regions leading biodiversity conservation organisation- Aarayank and EcoSystems Ind.
Aaranyak’s Chief Executive Officer Dr Bibhab Kumar Talukdar said that conservation of lesser known species such as Pygmy Hogs, Bengal Florican and Hispid hare and other grassland obligatory species are equally important as those of charismatic species such as the Tiger and the One-Horned Rhinoceros.
The Pygmy Hog reintroduction effort will help the grassland as they indicate health of the habitat and also the programme envisaged to contribute for restoration
of their habitat, he added.
Manas contains some of the largest remaining grassland blocks in the sub-Himalayan grassland ecosystems. Found only in these tall dense alluvial grasslands, pygmy hogs are incredibly shy and are almost never seen.
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust’s CEO Dr Lesley Dickie, who came to Assam to take part in this year’s pygmy hog release, said, “Durrell has been committed to conserving
the tiny but precious pygmy hog, and their grassland home, for decades. With our partners, including the government, we strive to create a functioning habitat that also allows local communities to thrive”.
