Thread by @KritikaRanjan6

Second post in the #WildlifeWeek series.

Day 2 – Squeals return to the tall wet #grasslands of #Assam !!!
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Pygmy Hog is the tiniest, rarest and the most #endangered of all wild #pigs globally. In fact, phylogenetic analysis of the pygmy hog revealed that it belongs to a separate genus, Porcula. It is evolutionarily unique and completely different from #boars, #warthogs, and pigs.
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Known to once thrive in the lush tall and wet grassland plains of the sub #Himalayas, they were feared to be extinct in the 1960's but were “rediscovered” in the year 1971.
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By 2002 only Manas National Park in Assam had a viable population left, as a result of loss and #degradation of habitat due to human settlements, agricultural #encroachments and improper management of grasslands.
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Burning of grassland to encourage fresh growth during the dry season is the greatest threat to pygmy hogs, as they need thick cover and build grass nests throughout the year. It is one of the few #mammals in the world that actually builds a house with a thatched roof.
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#Conservation of Pygmy hogs was originally started in the year 1971 by Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust although all the early attempts to captive breed them failed. This was until 1995 when the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP) was established by the Durrell Trust,
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IUCN Wild Pig Specialist Group, Assam’s forest department and India’s #environment ministry. After successfully catching 6 individuals from the wild including 3 mid-term pregnant females the captive #breeding programme started in Manas National Park.
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The pygmy hogs lived with minimal human contact, their supplementary diet was reduced considerably and it was made sure that they learn to #forage and build social relations with other hogs while in captivity before being released in the wild.
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By the year 2001, there were 77 individuals. As the population was steadily rising another breeding centre was opened and three re-introduction sites namely, Barnadi Wildlife Sanctuary, Orang National Park, and Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary were selected.
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Over the next decade, 35 hogs were released in Sonai-Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, 59 hogs were released in Orang National Park, and 22 hogs were released in Barnadi Wildlife Sanctuary. Recently the 100th captive bred hog was released in the wild !!
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PHCP maintains data of each individual who are identified with a rice-grain size microchip that is inserted under the skin. With the help of camera traps and tracking their droppings and footprints, they manage to keep track of the hogs, and evidence of breeding.
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To protect the grasslands that are their #habitat and to protect forest lands from floods and provide fodder for #livestock the trust works with local communities and the forest department to properly manage the grasslands.
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The current population of Pygmy hogs in Assam is around 200 individuals spread over three sub populations. The PHCP’s aim is that by 2025, the ecosystem is restored and pygmy hog can thrive once again in the tall grasslands of Himalayan foothills.
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The photograph of the Pygmy hog has been sourced from #Google. It has been clicked by Mr. AJT Johnsingh.

@moefcc @rameshpandeyifs @ParveenKaswan @skumarias02 @ranjeetnature @DurrellWildlife @assamforest @yamunajiye @IUCN @aaranyak #rewilding #WILDLIFEWEEK2022 #WildlifeWeek #wildlifeweek2022 #nature #OrangNationalPark #SonaiRupaiwildlifesanctuary #BarnadiWildlifeSanctuary #Assam