Fifteen of the world’s smallest pigs have returned to their ancestral home in India in what Jersey conservationists have described as a “full circle moment” after decades of work to save the species from extinction.
The pygmy hog – the world’s smallest and rarest wild pig – was once thought to be extinct before a tiny population was rediscovered in Assam in 1971 after seeking refuge from a grassland fire in a nearby tea plantation.
Now, after nearly 30 years of conservation work led by Jersey-based Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, 15 captive-bred pygmy hogs have been released into the Kuribeel grasslands of Manas National Park – the very site where six wild hogs were taken into captivity in 1996 to establish a breeding programme.
The release is a significant milestone for Durrell, which this year marks 40 years of work to protect the endangered species.
Although conservationists have successfully bred and released 194 pygmy hogs into the wild since the programme began, this is the first time animals have been returned to Kuribeel itself.
The release follows eight years of habitat restoration work in partnership with the Assam Forest Department after the grasslands had shown no signs of a wild pygmy hog population for almost a decade.
Durrell chief executive Rebecca Brewer said: “The Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme is one of our longest-running projects here at Durrell, and this milestone release shows the power of our long-term conservation efforts.
“We are so proud to lead this collaborative initiative that has saved the pygmy hog from extinction and helped the wild population to grow and thrive in their historic home once again.”
Every additional step we take gives us the opportunity to learn and create a better, stronger future for this fascinating species
Dr Parag Jyoti Deka
The programme is a collaboration between Durrell, the Assam Forest Department, the IUCN SSC Wild Pig Specialist Group, Ecosystems-India and conservation partner Aaranyak.
Dr Parag Jyoti Deka, Director of the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme, said the latest release would be closely monitored using camera traps, field surveys and radio telemetry to track the animals’ movements, survival and habitat use.
“Every additional step we take gives us the opportunity to learn and create a better, stronger future for this fascinating species,” he said.
Standing just 25cm tall and weighing between 6kg and 9kg, the pygmy hog is found only in the tall grasslands along the southern foothills of the Himalayas.
The species has suffered dramatic declines due to habitat loss, grassland burning, grazing and human encroachment.
Over the next five years, conservationists plan to release around 80 more pygmy hogs, with the long-term aim of establishing a self-sustaining wild population of around 300 animals by 2040.
