Page 39 - Ex-Situ Updates - Double Edition

Pygmy Hog Research and Breeding Centre, Basistha | Photo: Parag Deka

The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Before releasing them into the wild, the hogs are
(www.durrell.org) along with the IUCN/SSC Wild Pig imparted with survival training at a ‘pre-release’
Specialist Group initiated the Pygmy Hog facility near Nameri National Park where they are kept
Conservation Programme (PHCP) in 1995 to save the for about five months with minimal human contact

pygmy hog from extinction. It partnered with the and are conditioned to face the wild environment and
Assam Forest Department, Ministry of Environment along with enhanced opportunities to forage naturally.
Forest and Climate Change, a local NGO partner, The simulated grassland habitat in these large

enclosures helps the hogs to learn survival skills in the
EcoSystem
EcoSystems-India, and since 2018, a second local enclosures helps the hogs to learn survival skills in the
partner -Aaranyak to implement the programme. The wild and behave like wild animals.
main aim of the programme is conservation breeding
and reintroduction of pygmy hogs after habitat
restoration, as well as monitoring existing and

potential grassland habitats for the species.

Conservation Breeding

PHCP holds almost the entire global captive
population and maintains about 70 captive hogs at its
two centres in Assam and breeds more hogs every
year for release. The highly successful captive

breeding project of PHCP began using six (2 M: 4 F)
wild hogs captured from the last surviving population
of the species in Manas National Park in 1996. Later,

a young male rescued in 2001, and another male
a young male rescued in 2001, and another male
and two females captured in 2013 from the same
range joined the captive breeding stock. PHCP also
provided pygmy hogs to Assam State Zoo Cum
Botanical Garden for public display in 2014. A pygmy hog escaping to wild from release enclosure in
Rupahi Bhuyanpara Manas | Photo: Goutam Narayan

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