Now Reading: SC-NBWL recommends adding pygmy hog to critically endangered list
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SC-NBWL recommends adding pygmy hog to critically endangered list
The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL) has recommended listing the pygmy hog, the smallest and rarest wild pig, as a critically endangered species under the central Integrated Development…
The Story in Brief
The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL) has recommended listing the pygmy hog, the smallest and rarest wild pig, as a critically endangered species under the central Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats (IDWH) scheme, which provides financial assistance to states for protecting species through recovery programmes. The decision came during the SC-NBWL's July 9 meeting, where the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) presented conservation successes in Assam and argued for expanding the programme to suitable grasslands. The committee agreed the pygmy hog was once an iconic grassland species and suggested examining habitats in West Bengal's Jaldapara and parts of Uttar Pradesh for future reintroduction. WII will be entrusted with scientific studies to assess the species' present status and reintroduction feasibility.
The Indian Opinion
Conservationists will welcome the pygmy hog's upgraded status, but listing alone won't save it. The species' historic decline was driven by grassland loss, and Assam's success cannot be replicated without securing similar habitats elsewhere. The committee's suggestion to examine Jaldapara and Uttar Pradesh is promising, but the real test lies in whether the government allocates sufficient funds and enforces protection against encroachment. The number? How many pygmy hogs survive today, the WII study must give a clear count.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
