World's rarest pygmy hogs reintroduced in Assam's national park, count up by 54

EIGHTEEN captive-bred pygmy hogs, world's rarest and smallest pig species, were reintroduced into Manas National Park in Assam on Saturday under the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP).

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This was the fourth such reintroduction in Manas, their original home. Overall, 54 hogs were released here in past four years. Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, IUCN/SSC Wild Pig Specialist Group, Assam Forest Department, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Ecosystems-India and wildlife NGO Aaranyak collaborated for PHCP. It is aimed at bringing back this endangered species back from the brink after it was thought to be extinct in the 1970s.