Assam targets 300 pygmy hogs by 2040 after number ‘rises to 194 from 6’
From just six to 194, the world’s smallest wild pig shows remarkable recovery through decades of breeding and habitat protection
Guwahati, Sep 13 (PTI) The population of pygmy hog, the world's smallest and rarest wild pig species, increased to 194 from six through a conservation and breeding programme, Assam's Forest and Climate Change Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said on Sunday.
He, however, did not share the period of the surge in the number of this endangered animal, which is endemic to India.
Baruah said the target is to increase the population to 300 by 2040.
"This long-term target reflects our commitment not only to protecting the species but also to restoring the grassland habitats on which pygmy hogs and several other threatened wildlife species depend," the minister said.
He said the journey from six to 194 shows what determined conservation can achieve. "From protecting grasslands to strengthening breeding and population recovery efforts, we are working to ensure that Assam's unique wildlife heritage continues to thrive".
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has remarked that the recovery of the endangered pygmy hog from just six animals to 194 was a "remarkable story of conservation, patience and decades of dedicated effort", Baruah said.
"We have placed Assam at the heart of efforts to save one of the world's smallest and rarest wild pig species from extinction. The conservation and breeding programme began with just six pygmy hogs collected from Manas National Park, and their recovery today stands as a powerful testament to sustained conservation action," he pointed out.
A small hog has made a big comeback, and Assam's conservation journey is showing the world that even species once on the brink of extinction can be given a new future, the minister added. PTI