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Ten captive-bred pygmy hogs, the world\u2019s smallest and rarest wild pig most threatened by extinction, have been released in Assam’s Manas National Park by the\u00a0 Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP), taking the total number animals introduced in the Park so far to 36. \u00a0 \u00a0The current set of pygmy hogs, including seven females and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":76310,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"source_name":"","source_url":"","via_name":"","via_url":"","override_template":"0","override":[{"template":"1","single_blog_custom":"","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"right-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"bottom","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"0","show_post_reading_time":"1","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_prev_next_post":"0","show_popup_post":"1","number_popup_post":"2","show_author_box":"0","show_post_related":"1","show_inline_post_related":"1"}],"override_image_size":"0","image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-715","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post":"0","trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post":"0","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","sponsored_post_name":"","sponsored_post_url":"","sponsored_post_logo_enable":"0","sponsored_post_logo":"","sponsored_post_desc":"","disable_ad":"0"},"jnews_primary_category":{"id":"200"},"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":{"override_view_counter":"0","view_counter_number":"0","override_share_counter":"0","share_counter_number":"0","override_like_counter":"0","like_counter_number":"0","override_dislike_counter":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[200],"tags":[2436],"class_list":["post-76309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-assam","tag-ten-pygmy-hogs-released-in-manas-national-park"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":158230,"url":"https:\/\/assamtimespost.in\/?p=158230","url_meta":{"origin":76309,"position":0},"title":"Protests Erupt Over Alleged Secret Transfer of Elephant \u2018Durga\u2019 From Manas to Kerala","author":"News Desk","date":"September 10, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The alleged secret transfer of a captive female elephant named \u201cDurga\u201d from Manas National Park to Kerala has triggered strong protests by nature conservation groups and student organisations. According to the protesting organisations, Durga was transported from Mahal Camp under the Bansbari Range on the night of September 7. 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\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>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, \u00a0and 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.<\/span>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 In 2020, 14 and \u00a0in 2021, 12 hogs \u00a0were 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.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 With this release, the number of pygmy hogs reintroduced into the wild by the PHCP has reached 152 (70 males, 82 females) since 1996.<\/span>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 In 1996, six hogs \u00a0were 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.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Initially, 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\u00a0<\/span>
\nSanctuary.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0The 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.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 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.<\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Manas 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.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0” Manas Tiger Reserve serves as the\u00a0source stock of hogs for the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme, this tranche of supplementation\u00a0<\/span>
\nwith a captive bred population is going to strengthen conservation efforts especially for tall wet\u00a0grasslands, for which the pygmy hog serves as an indicator species”, he said.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0At the same time, this is an\u00a0opportunity 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\u00a0pygmy hog numbers and their distribution status, he added.<\/span>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0In 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\u00a0Climate changes formed the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP).\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Currently, the project is being implemented with the PHCP\u2019s key partner, regions leading biodiversity\u00a0conservation organisation- Aarayank and EcoSystems Ind.<\/span>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 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.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 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\u00a0<\/span>
\nof their habitat, he added.<\/span>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 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\u00a0are almost never seen.\u00a0<\/span>
\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust’s CEO Dr Lesley Dickie, who came to Assam\u00a0to take part in this year\u2019s pygmy hog release, said, \u201cDurrell has been committed to conserving\u00a0<\/span>
\nthe tiny but precious pygmy hog, and their grassland home, for decades. With our partners,\u00a0including the government, we strive to create a functioning habitat that also allows local communities\u00a0to thrive”. <\/span>
\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"