News: The population of Pygmy Hog has declined sharply due to habitat loss, grass burning, illegal grazing, and land degradation.
About Pygmy Hog
- The Pygmy Hog is the smallest and rarest wild suid in the world.
- Scientific name: Porcula salvania
- Habitat: Pygmy Hogs prefer undisturbed patches of tall wet grassland mixed with a wide variety of herbs, shrubs and young trees.
- Distribution: It is endemic to Northeast India.
- At present, they are found only in Assam, mainly in Manas and Orang National Parks.
- Physical Features:
- Size: They measure about 55–71 cm in length, 25 cm in height, and weights 6.6–9.7 kg.
- They have small, compact, and streamlined body with small ears and tail.
- They have grayish-brown skin with blackish-brown bristles.
- They have short legs and short false hooves, suitable for grassland living.
- The snout is positioned perpendicular to their head, and they lacks facial warts.
- They have well-developed teeth, with upturned canines and rounded molars.
- The pygmy hog is one of the very few mammals that build their own home, or nest, complete with a ‘roof’.
- Nature: They are social animals and live in small family groups.
- They are diurnal and spend daylight hours foraging.
- Ecological Role: They are also an indicator species as their presence reflects the health of grassland of the region.
- They help to disperse seeds and aerate the soil through their dietary and foraging habits.
- Diet: It is an omnivore and feeds on roots, tubers, insects, rodents, and small reptiles.
- Threats
- Loss and degradation of habitat due to human settlements
- Agricultural encroachments
- Flood control schemes
- Traditional forestry management practices
- Conservation status
- IUCN: Critically Endangered
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
