15 more pygmy hogs return to their historical home in Manas National Park

15 more pygmy hogs return to their historical home in Manas National Park

Mahabahu Climate Forum

Bansbari, Baksa June7: Fifteen captive-bred pygmy hogs were released today into the Kuribeel grasslands of Manas National Park under the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP). 

Thirty years ago, in 1996, six Pygmy Hogs were taken from this very site into captivity to establish an insurance population against extinction. As the species gradually disappeared from this landscape, the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme, a coalition of partners led by Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in collaboration with the Forest Department, has spent the last eight years restoring its grassland habitat with the Assam Forest Department, and communities and Forest department strengthening protection measures. Today, the PHCP are bringing their descendants back to the same site where the conservation journey began. Over the next five years, the PHCP plan to release around 80 Pygmy Hogs, with the goal of rebuilding a thriving wild population of approximately 300 animals by 2040.

The Pygmy hog (Porculasalvania) is the world’s smallest and rarest wild pig, which has sadly been threatened with extinction.

Fifteen pygmy hogs (nine females and six males) were released in the presence of Dr.Vinay Gupta IFS, PCCF (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden of Assam, Mr. Suman Mohapatra IFS, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Mr. H. Rajamohan IFS, Field Director, Dhudhwa Tiger Reserve (Uttar Pradesh), Dr.C.Ramesh IFS, Field Director, Manas Tiger Reserve, Mr. T. Sheshidhar Reddy IFS, Deputy Director, Manas Tiger Reserve and other forest officials.

Dr.Vinay Gupta IFS stated, “The reintroduction of the endangered Pygmy Hog in Manas National Park under the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme is a remarkable conservation achievement. Such efforts are vital for restoring grassland ecosystems and safeguarding threatened species. I look forward to seeing a stable and self-sustaining pygmy hog population in this landscape, further strengthening Manas as a globally important biodiversity conservation area.”

Shri Suman Mohapatra, Addl. PCCF & CHD, BTC, said, “The return of the pygmy hog to Manas is a testament to successful habitat restoration and collaborative conservation efforts. It reflects the improving health of Manas’ grasslands and reinforces our commitment to securing this unique species and its ecosystem for future generations.”

This is the sixth release of pygmy hogs into Manas National Park since 2020, which takes the total number of the endangered species released by the programme up to 78. This release marks a true homecoming for the pygmy hog. The founder population for the conservation breeding programme was originally captured from the Kuribeel grasslands of the Bansbari Range in Manas, where these animals have now been reintroduced. With no confirmed signs of pygmy hogs in Kuribeel for the past nine years, this release represents a significant milestone in the recovery of the species and the restoration of its historical range.

The Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP), a collaborative initiative involving the Assam Forest Department, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, the IUCN SSC Wild Pig Specialist Group  and Ecosystems-India, with Aaranyak as a key implementation partner, has been instrumental in rescuing the critically endangered pygmy hog from the brink of extinction after the species was feared extinct during the 1970s.

In 2025, PHCP signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, the Assam Forest Department, IUCN SSC Wild Pig Specialist Group, Aaranyak, and Ecosystems-India to further strengthen collaborative conservation efforts for the species.

The PHCP has so far successfully bred and reintroduced 194 hogs in Assam, India, which, and happy to report, for the first time since the reintroduction programme began, may now be outnumbered by their current global wild population.

Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP)

The Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP) started its work in 1996 when two males and two females were captured from the Bansbari Range of Manas National Park. The reintroduction of captive-bred hogs to the wild began in 2008. Prior to releases in Manas National Park, the PHCP selected other appropriate grasslands in Assam for reintroductions of the pygmy hog.

The PHCP has successfully re-established a wild pygmy hog population in Orang National Park through the release of 59 captive-bred individuals. The Park is located approximately 120km southeast of Manas, on the north riverside of the Brahmaputra River. Today, the population is estimated at around 200 hogs and is believed to consist entirely of wild-born animals, marking a significant conservation achievement.

The pygmy hog was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in the 1970s. It remains under significant threat from the loss of its grassland habitat due to invasive alien plant species, woody encroachment, and human disturbance.

Dr. C. Ramesh, Field Director of Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve, highlighted that Manas harbours some of the largest and most ecologically significant grassland landscapes remaining in the sub-Himalayan region. He noted that these grasslands are not only vital for biodiversity conservation but also serve as natural water reservoirs, playing a crucial role in sustaining the long-term water security and livelihoods of farming communities living around the park.

Emphasizing their ecological importance, Dr. Ramesh stated that these grasslands provide indispensable habitat for a range of specialized wildlife, including the highly endangered Pygmy Hog. As one of the world’s rarest mammals and a species listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, the future of the Pygmy Hog is intrinsically linked to the health and extent of these grassland ecosystems.

He stressed that the success of ongoing conservation and reintroduction efforts depends on scientifically managed grasslands, regular habitat restoration, and the maintenance of natural ecological processes that sustain this unique landscape and its wildlife.

Additional background information on Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP)

In 1995, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Jersey, UK partnered with Forest Department, Government of Assam, IUCN, Wild Pig Specialist Group and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate changes, Govt. of India formed Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP). The project is currently being implemented in the country with the PHCP’s key partner, Aaranyak.

Until 2018, the PHCP was guided by the IUCN Species Action Plan (SAP) 1993, prepared by the WPSG. The revised SAP has been enacted with a long-term vision till 2030.  The PHCP is guided by Durrell’s ‘Rewild Our World’ strategy with two plans which map out the programme until 2025, one for habitat and community activities in Manas NP and the second for the pygmy hog captive breeding and reintroduction programme. To achieve the programme’s visionof restoring pygmy hog populations in the wild and protecting their grassland habitat for the benefit of all threatened species and local communities, this plan is being implemented.

The pygmy hog

The pygmy hog (Porculasalvania) is the world’s smallest and rarest wild pig, most threatened by extinction. It belongs to a unique genus that has no close relatives. It stands about 25 cm from the ground and weighs 6 to 9 kg. It differs from young wild boars in having a rudimentary tail (2-3 cm) and more spindle-shaped body (hence its Assamese and Bodo names TakuriBora and Oma Thakri; the more commonly used Nal Gahori is a misnomer as it does not prefer the Nal or Phragmites grass). It lives in small (4-8) groups that construct thatch ‘houses’ (nests) to live in, not just to farrow like other pigs.

The species was originally found in the narrow belt of tall alluvial grasslands that runs across the southern edge of the Himalayas in the Indian subcontinent.

Tall alluvial grass habitats, being very rich in nutrients, are highly suitable for cultivation and, therefore, came under significant pressures from expanding human populations, agriculture and uncontrolled harvesting, all of which caused the disappearance of this highly sensitive species.

Currently, the pygmy hog faces several major threats, including grassland degradation caused by indiscriminate burning, the spread of invasive alien plant species, woody vegetation encroachment, disease outbreaks such as African Swine Fever, and human encroachment. These pressures have already led to the species’ extirpation from much of its recent historical range in Assam and northern West Bengal.

Pygmy hog as an indicator species: Besides being a unique species and one of the most endangered mammals in the world, the pygmy hog also happens to be a sensitive indicator of its habitat. The tall alluvial wet grassland belt just south of the Himalayan foothills is home to several other highly threatened species, such as the Bengal florican, hispid hare, eastern barasingha, and wild buffalo.

The grassland is also used extensively by rhinos, elephants, tigers, hog deer and several small animals, such as endangered turtles. The project to save pygmy hogs also gives us an opportunity to address the larger question about the conservation and management of one of India’ s most biodiversity-rich habitats.

These wet grasslands also help maintain the region’s long-term ecological and economic well-being as theyserve as a buffer against floods in the rainy season while maintaining high groundwater levels in the dry season, indirectly benefiting farming communities living in the fringe areas.

07-06-2026

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