Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust to release Pygmy Hogs in Assam

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http://www.durrellwildlife.org/index.cfm?p=419

*DURRELL TO RETURN CRITICALLY ENDANGERED PYGMY HOGS TO INDIAN GRASSLANDS*

24 January 2007

Once feared extinct, the world's smallest species of pig, the Pygmy Hog, is

set to be re-introduced to the grasslands of Assam thanks to a captive

breeding effort by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.

 

Durrell is working closely with the Indian authorities and the World

Conservation Union (IUCN) to ensure that the last wild population of Pygmy

Hogs (Sus salvanius) survives and captive bred hogs are returned to their

natural habitat in safety. It is offering training to protected area wardens

at the intended release sites.

 

Dr John Fa, Scientific Director at Durrell, travelled to India at the end of

last year to put the final stages of the release strategy in place.

 

He said: " Local people are absolutely key to the success of our work with

endangered species. We will be working with national park staff, helping

them learn more about this critically endangered animal and ways of

protecting it through habitat management. "

 

Once common along the foothill plains south of the Himalayas, the Pygmy Hog

was believed extinct in the 1960s, until rediscovered in 1971. A survey in

the mid-70s found that there were less than 150 animals remaining in the

wild, spread between two isolated pockets in northern Assam.

 

Durrell embarked on an ambitious conservation project to bring the species

back from the brink of extinction in 1995, capturing six animals and

embarking on the world's only captive breeding programme for the Pygmy Hog.

 

The scheme was hugely successful and today the centre is at full capacity

with 70 animals. The hogs live in an environment that mirrors their natural

habitat as closely as possible and have to root for their food of

succulents, tubers and grasses as they would in the wild.

 

It is hoped about ten animals will be released in the next twelve months,

once required preparations have been made to their grassland habitats at the

designated release sites: the Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary and the Nameri

National Park. More captive bred hogs will be released in the subsequent

years.

 

Dr Goutam Narayan, who leads the project in India, said: " The hogs will be

taken to a pre-release centre near Nameri and closely monitored to ensure

that they acclimatise to life without human support, before they are

released fully into the wild.

 

" This is a tried and tested approach that Durrell has used with many

endangered species across the globe, and we hope that the release of these

animals will bring us one step closer to ensuring their survival. "

 

" We have restored grassland at the pre-release site and have erected

electric fences to keep larger animals such as elephants out. We are working

with protected area staff to protect and restore the natural grasslands at

the release sites and with the help of the Darwin Initiative, we have

developed a curriculum for the Park Authority staff. "