← 19 September 2026's Current Affairs · Environment GS-3 Prelims ★★★★☆ Mains ★★★★☆
Assam's Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme rebuilds wild population
Why in News?
India's smallest wild pig is Endangered: the Assam grassland programme every IUCN Prelims answer needs
Assam's Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme continues efforts to rebuild the wild population of the endangered pygmy hog.
Why it matters: GS-3 core; factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 min read
The Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme, run in Assam, breeds the pygmy hog — the world's smallest and rarest wild pig — in captivity before releasing them into protected grasslands to rebuild wild populations.
The species is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and survives only in a few grassland habitats of Assam.
Sources: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
Key facts
Remember these
- The pygmy hog is the world's smallest and rarest wild pig
- It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List
- It survives only in a few grassland habitats of Assam
- The Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme breeds pygmy hogs in captivity before releasing them into protected grasslands
Prelims · Mains
How the exam will ask it
Prelims
- The pygmy hog is bred in captivity under the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme and released into protected grasslands to rebuild wild populations.
- The pygmy hog is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
- The pygmy hog survives only in a few grassland habitats of Assam, its native tall, wet alluvial grassland range.
Mains
GS Paper 3 - Environment: shrinking tall, wet alluvial grasslands in Assam threaten the pygmy hog's survival, making the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme's captive-breeding-and-release model a key species-specific conservation intervention. Long-term recovery depends on sustained protection and management of the remaining grassland habitat alongside the breeding effort.
Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
The Pygmy Hog, the world's smallest wild pig species and a conservation priority in Assam, is native to which type of habitat?
- Mangrove swamps
- Tall, wet alluvial grasslands
- High-altitude alpine meadows
- Tropical evergreen forests
Show answer
Answer: B — The pygmy hog survives in tall, wet alluvial grasslands, a habitat type that is shrinking across its range in Assam.
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