GUWAHATI: Fourteen captive-bred pygmy hogs have been released at Manas National Park under the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP) on Thursday and Sunday.
“The release of the pygmy hogs is a significant milestone in the effort to save one of the most endangered mammals in the world as the original wild stock for the conservation breeding project was captured from the park about 24 years ago. Prior to release in Manas, they were maintained in a pre-release centre near Nameri National Park for six months,” a statement issued here on Monday by Aaranyak, a city-based society for biodiversity conservation, said.
The Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP) is a collaborative effort involving key partners such as Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, IUCN/SSC Wild Pig Specialist Group, Assam forest department, ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change, EcoSystems-India and Aaranyak.
The main aim of the programme incorporates conservation breeding and reintroduction of pygmy hogs after habitat restoration, as well as monitoring existing and potential grassland habitats for the species.
In 1996, six hogs were captured from Bansbari range of Manas National Park to start the highly successful breeding programme. Later, a young male rescued in 2001, and another male and two females captured in 2013 from the same range joined the captive breeding stock. Reintroduction of captive hogs in the wild began in 2008.
“It has been estimated that with the release of these 14 (six male, eight female) hogs in Rupahi grasslands in the Bhuyanpara range of Manas National Park, the total number of reintroduced hogs and their progeny may have reached 200 in four release sites. About 60 hogs will be released over a five-year period in the Bhuyanpara range from where they had disappeared,” the statement added.
Chief wildlife warden and the additional PCCF, Assam, M.K. Yadava stated that “Amidst the crisis of African Swine Fever we decided to secure the future of the pygmy hogs one of the first things is to release them in a secure place such as Manas National Park.”
Meanwhile, PHCP will continue to maintain about 70 captive hogs at its two centres in Assam and breed more hogs for release.