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Released pygmy hogs alive and well

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Friday 8th May 2009

Group of pygmy hogs foraging on forest floor

In May last year, 16 captive-bred pygmy hogs (Porcula salvania) were released into a wildlife sanctuary in India in an effort to boost the Critically Endangered pigs numbers. Following extensive surveys and the capture of camera-trap footage, conservationists have revealed that most of the released pigs are thriving in their new environment.

Once believed to be extinct due to widespread habitat loss, the pygmy hog is one of the worlds most threatened mammals, with a population of no more than a few hundred in the wild. In 1996, a captive breeding programme was initiated by the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP) in an effort to boost the imperiled pigs numbers. Over the next 12 years, the breeding programme proved so successful that pairing and mating had to be controlled in order to avoid overcrowding. However, the question remained how the captive-reared pigs would fare when introduced back into the wild.

Fortunately, the recent surveys and camera footage indicate that the releases have been a huge success, with the pigs adapting well to life in the wild. Now with plans to release a further 14 captive-bred hogs into the sanctuary, the future for the worlds smallest pig is looking very positive.

Further information

To find out more about conservation of the pygmy hog see:

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust:
www.durrell.org/Conservation/Where-we-work/India
IUCN-SSC Pigs, Peccaries and Hippos Specialist Group:
data.iucn.org/themes/ssc/sgs/pphsg/home.htm

In addition to the pygmy hog, nine other members of the pig family (Suidae) are currently listed in a threatened category on the IUCN Red List, including:

Visayan warty pig (Sus cebifrons)

The Visayan warty pig is a small forest dwelling species that has disappeared from over 98% of its former range. Habitat loss and hunting are probably the main cause of its precipitous decline, but it is also threatened by interbreeding with domestic pigs.

Babirusas (Babyrousa spp.)

With its highly distinctive tusks, the babirusa is one the worlds most curious looking mammals. Unfortunately, its population is thought to be declining rapidly in response to illegal poaching and habitat loss.

Palawan bearded pig (Sus ahoenobarbus)

The Palawan bearded pig is restricted to three islands in the Philippines. Like much of Southeast Asias wildlife, habitat loss and heavy hunting are considered the greatest threats to its survival.

Philippine warty pig (Sus philippensis)

As its name suggests, the robustly-built Philippine warty pig is another species endemic to the Philippines. Intense hunting pressure, extreme levels of deforestation, and hybridisation with domestic pigs have seen this species disappear from large areas of its former range.

Visit MyARKive to see a selection of movies and images in the Pigs on the Brink scrapbook

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