Pygmy Hog (Porcula salvinia/Sus salvanius)

Pygmy Hogs Reintroduced in Assam

• Context (TH | IE): Eighteen captive-bred pygmy hogs are released in Assam’s Manas National Park, their historical habitat, under the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP).

Pygmy Hog (Porcula salvinia/Sus salvanius)

• Pygmy Hog is the world’s smallest wild pig.
• It is one of the indicator species of grassland habitats.
  • It lives in sociable family groups of up to 20, led by a matriarch.
  • Pygmy hog-sucking Louse is a critically endangered parasite that feeds only on Pygmy Hogs.
  • Distribution: This rare pig species is found only in Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam. Earlier, it was located across north India, Nepal, and Bhutan.
  • Habitat: It lives in dense, tall riverine grasslands.
  • Threats: Habitat loss and hunting.
  • Conservation Status: IUCN: EN | CITES: Appendix I | WPA: Schedule I

Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP)

• PHCP was launched in 1996 by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust along with the MoEF, the IUCN, and local NGOs, EcoSystems India & Aaranyak.
• It maintains a captive population and reintroduces hogs in protected areas of Assam.

Why the Conservation of Pygmy Hogs is Crucial to India’s Wildlife Protection Goals

• Pygmy hogs are an indicator species.
• Pygmy hogs only live in the wet high grasslands at the foothills of the Himalayas.
• It is also the habitat for other rarities such as the one-horned rhinoceros, hog deer, Eastern barasingha, tiger, water buffalo, lesser florican and the hispid hare.
• So, if pygmy hogs are not around, it means something is seriously wrong with the habitat, which, in turn, would endanger the fate of the other animals.

Indicator species presence, absence or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition.

Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve It is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site located on the Himalayan Foothills. It is contiguous with the Royal Manas National Park (Bhutan). Manas River (a tributary of Brahmaputra) passes through the heart of the National Park. The bhabar-terai region with riverine succession makes it one of the richest areas of biodiversity. Vegetation: Semi-evergreen forests, moist & dry deciduous forests, savanna woodland, & grasslands. Major Fauna: Hispid hare, pygmy hog, wild water buffalo, rhinoceros (reintroduced in 2007), elephants, sambar, Chinese pangolin, clouded leopards. Major Avifauna: It has the world’s largest population of the endangered Bengal florican. Other major bird species include great hornbills, pelicans, eagles, and herons.