CM, Forest min Laud Conservation EffortGuwahati: Assam’s pygmy hog population has increased from six in 1996 to 194, marking a major conservation success for one of the world’s smallest and rarest wild pig species, state forest and environment minister Jayanta Mallabaruah said.Wading in on the remarkable conservation effort, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, too, described it as a “remarkable story of conservation, patience and decades of dedicated effort.”The conservation and breeding programme began with six pygmy hogs collected from Manas National Park in 1996. Since then, Assam has since emerged as a key centre for the species’ recovery and conservation.The state government has set a long-term target of increasing the population to 300 by 2040, Mallabaruah said, adding that the target reflected Assam’s commitment to protecting the species and restoring the grassland habitats on the hogs and other threatened wildlife depend.“The journey from six to 194 shows what determined conservation can achieve,” Mallabaruah said, stressing that sustained conservation action could give even species, once on the brink of extinction, a new future.Strengthening breeding and population recovery programmes, along with protecting and restoring grasslands, will be crucial to the species’ long-term survival, he said.The pygmy hog is found in Assam’s grassland ecosystems and is considered an indicator of habitat health. Its recovery is therefore significant not only for the species but also for the wider conservation of grassland ecosystems.
