PYGMY HOG PROJECT

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World's Tiniest Wild Pig Subject of Big Rescue Effort

Pallava Bagla

for National Geographic News

Guwahati, Assam, India — The smallest wild pig in the world is taking its

first, hesitant steps back from the brink of extinction.

Researchers in the late 1970s estimated that there were fewer than 150 pygmy

hogs living in the wild. While their range had once extended from the foot

of the Himalayas in northeast India to Nepal and Bhutan, by the early 1990s,

the tiny animals were confined to two isolated pockets in northwest Assam,

India—the Manas Tiger Reserve and the Barnadi Wildlife Sanctuary.

They are believed to be extinct in the two countries neighboring India, and

the International Union for the Conservation of Nature lists the pygmy hog,

Sus salvanius, as critically endangered.

Two pygmy hogs, the smallest pigs in the world, rummage a pen at a breeding

center. Researchers have launched a captive breeding program and are further

studying the animal to help conserve the species.

Photograph copyright

Pallava Bagla

Although the tiny wild pig is still considered one of the most threatened of

all mammals, thanks to conservation measures and a captive breeding program

those numbers have improved. While providing exact population estimates for

this very shy animal that inhabits vast grasslands is very difficult, Goutam

Narayan, a wildlife expert with the Pygmy Hog Conservation Program (PHCP),

estimates that today there may be as many as a few hundred individuals

living in the wild.

Still, scientists are worried.

" The pygmy hog is an important indicator species, and we need to know why it

is disappearing faster than other less sensitive species, " said Narayan.

Under the auspices of the PHCP, a consortium of government and private

organizations formed in 1995, researchers embarked on a seven-year study to

document the tiny animal's numbers, identify the problems they face,

recommend remedial actions, and bring their plight to the attention of the

public. Their recently released report offers hope for the future of the

pygmy hog.

 

Shrinking Habitat

Human settlements, encroachment by farmlands, overuse of land by livestock,

and commercial forestry have all contributed to losses in the specialized

grassy habitat that serves as home to the pygmy hog. Flood control programs

and uncontrolled seasonal burning have also damaged the grasslands.

In addition to loss of habitat, political unrest and military action are

impacting wildlife populations even in the reserves.

" Illegal trapping and killing of wildlife in Manas has already taken a toll

on larger mammals, such as the rhinoceros, tiger, swamp deer, and hog deer, "

said Narayan. " In the absence of effective protection measures, it has begun

to affect even smaller species such as pygmy hogs. "

The PHCP captive breeding program may be the only thing standing between the

pygmy hog and extinction, according to Narayan.

Beginning with six animals captured in the wild in 1996, the captive

breeding program is now home to more than 75 pygmy hogs.

The program has proven so successful that pairing and mating are now being

controlled at the breeding center to avoid overcrowding. DNA studies by the

Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad, India, are being

conducted to avoid loss of genetic diversity.

" It is a good program, but its future will depend on successful release of

captive-bred animals into the wild, " said P. C. Bhattacharjee, head of

animal ecology and wildlife biology at Guwahati University in Assam, India.

" There is an urgent need to develop an alternative research and breeding

site, " he said. " Putting all eggs in one basket is not such a good idea. "

 

Reintroduction to the Wild

The population surveys conducted early on during the study are also being

used to help researchers identify potential sites for reintroduction.

" The release into the wild is the real challenge now, " said Bhattacharjee.

" How safe is Manas as a reintroduction site? Not just in terms of the human

factor, there is also the factor of other larger animals. "

Bhattacharjee believes that an initial release into a small, restricted area

to see how the animals acclimate before they're released fully into the wild

is the best approach.

" This is very important, otherwise all the time and effort spent on the PHCP

over the years will go to waste, if release into the wild is not

successful, " he said.

Other conservation measures recommended in the PHCP report include restoring

grasslands and developing stronger management plans for the ecosystems.

A " coordinated and sustained effort by the authorities in collaboration with

local conservation groups " is necessary to save the world's tiniest pig,

said Narayan.

 

Pygmy Hogs

The pygmy hog is a small wild pig weighing between 15 to 25 pounds (

kilograms). Its body, 1.8-2.3 ft(55-71 cm) with a tail length of a mere 1

inch (2.5 cm), is streamlined, round, and close to the ground due to its

short stubby legs.

Pygmy hogs live in dense, tall grassland, where it feeds on roots, tubers,

and insects. It builds nests made of grass that are used by both males and

females at all times of the year, but especially during the breeding season.

The grasslands that the little pig lives in are also home to large mammals

like the great Indian one-horned rhinoceros, the Royal Bengal tiger, swamp

deer, and the wild buffalo, in addition to smaller animals like the hispid

hare, and birds like the Bengal florican.

In the wild, the pygmy hog lives in small family groups of about four to

five individuals, comprised of one or more adult females and accompanying

juveniles, and occasionally an adult male.

The Pygmy Hog Conservation Program was established in 1995 with funding from

the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, a voluntary organization based in

the United Kingdom, the European Commission, the Assam Valley Wildlife

Society, Harper Collins and others.