Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday highlighted the significant recovery of the endangered pygmy hog, with its population increasing from just six animals to 194 following decades of conservation efforts.
In a post on X, Sarma described the species’ recovery as “a remarkable story of conservation, patience and decades of dedicated effort”.
Calling it a “small hog” with a “big comeback”, the chief minister set a target of increasing the pygmy hog population to 300 by 2040.
According to information shared as part of a conservation display, the pygmy hog had once been pushed close to extinction. A dedicated conservation and captive-breeding programme was launched using six pygmy hogs collected from Manas National Park.
The pygmy hog is among the world’s smallest and rarest wild pig species and is native to the grasslands along the Himalayan foothills. Assam has played a central role in efforts to protect the species and rebuild its declining population.
The rise from six individuals to 194 represents a major milestone in the conservation programme. The new target of 300 animals by 2040 reflects efforts to sustain and further expand the species’ recovery.
Conservationists have stressed that the long-term survival of the pygmy hog depends not only on breeding and population recovery but also on protecting its natural grassland habitat. Assam’s grasslands are important ecosystems that support the pygmy hog as well as several other threatened species.