Porcula salvania

Pygmy Hog (Porcula salvania)

The pygmy hog is the world's smallest wild pig species, measuring just 55-71 cm in length and weighing 6.6-9.7 kg. Adults display a dark brown to black coat with sparse, coarse hair. These highly social animals live in family groups of 4-20 individuals, constructing elaborate nests from grass that serve as shelter and breeding sites. As ecosystem engineers, pygmy hogs maintain grassland habitats through their foraging behavior and create microhabitats used by other species.

Historically distributed across the Indo-Gangetic Plains, pygmy hogs now survive only in fragmented populations across Assam, India, with small numbers potentially remaining in Bhutan and Nepal. They inhabit tall, wet grasslands dominated by species like *Saccharum spontaneum* and *Imperata cylindrica*, requiring dense vegetation for nesting and foraging.

The species faces severe habitat loss as grasslands are converted to agricultural crops and livestock grazing areas. Traditional burning practices and altered fire regimes degrade remaining grassland quality. Hunting pressure persists despite legal protection, while seasonal flooding and extreme weather events threaten the small, isolated populations.

Conservation efforts center on the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme, which operates breeding facilities and has successfully reintroduced captive-bred individuals to protected areas in Assam. Habitat restoration projects aim to improve grassland quality, while community engagement programs work to reduce hunting pressure.

The species remains critically vulnerable due to its extremely limited range and small population size. While reintroduction efforts show promise, long-term survival depends on expanding suitable habitat and establishing additional viable populations across the historical range.