Assam revives pygmy hog population from near extinction
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Conservationists in Assam, India, increased the population of the pygmy hog, the country’s only endemic wild pig, from six to 194 through a dedicated breeding and reintroduction program.
In 1996, fearing the species’ disappearance, they captured six pygmy hogs from Kuribeel grasslands in Manas National Park and began the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP). Since 2020, the PHCP has released six groups of captive-bred hogs into Manas National Park, bringing the park’s total population to 78.
The program recently reintroduced the species to Kuribeel grasslands after a nine-year absence, releasing 15 hogs in June 2026. The success of the PHCP extends beyond simple numbers, as the pygmy hog’s habitat, tall, wet grasslands, is also crucial for the health of the wider Himalayan foothills ecosystem. Looking ahead, India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has included the pygmy hog in its Species Recovery Programme.
The Wildlife Institute of India will assess potential new habitats in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, and the PHCP aims to release 80 more hogs in Manas over the next five years, hoping to reach a population of 300 by 2040.
