As Wildlife Week unfolds from October 2 to 8, 2024, Assam is taking center stage to celebrate its rich biodiversity, focusing on the critically endangered Pygmy Hog. Renowned as the world’s smallest and rarest wild suid, the Pygmy Hog (Porcula salvinia) is endemic to Assam and is currently found exclusively in Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve.
With a population dwindling to approximately 100 individuals remaining in the wild, the survival of this remarkable species is closely tied to the preservation of tall, wet grasslands—crucial ecosystems that are rapidly vanishing due to habitat loss. The conversion of these grasslands into agricultural fields and livestock grazing areas presents significant threats to the Pygmy Hog’s existence.
Once thought to be extinct, this tiny treasure was rediscovered in Assam in 1971. Its classification as an endangered and Schedule I species highlights the urgent need for intensified conservation efforts.
In conjunction with Wildlife Week, the Government of Assam is urging the community to pledge their commitment to protecting the Pygmy Hog and preserving the unique ecosystems that sustain it. “Biodiversity thrives where grasslands stand,” serves as a poignant reminder of the delicate balance necessary to maintain Assam’s natural heritage.