Poor Growth of Elephant population in North East India

As per the 2007-2008 elephant census, there is a positive growth of the wild elephant population in India i.e. 26413 in 2002 and 27694 in 2007 growing at the rate of 4.85%, but the sad story is that population of wild elephant in North Eastern India has hardly shown any growth.

Wild Population of elephant in North Eastern part was estimated to be 9243 in 2002 while latest estimation in 2007 is 9355, which shows a growth of 1.21%, a sorrow figure.

Three states responsible for such degradation are Meghalaya, Mizoram and Manipur of which Manipur has no wild elephant is left in the state now and Mizoram with just 12 elephants. Meghalaya, on the other hand is de-growing with a rate of 3.05% (1868 in 2002 and 1811 in 2007). Khasi Elephant Reserve in Meghalaya has been accorded by Ministry of Environment & Forests. The State Government is yet to notify.

Assam on the other hand has shown a minor growth in terms of captive as well as wild population but there are other factors which are posing alarming threats to the population.

One of the threats is man-animal conflict which is rising with the increase of elephant population. Other region for such conflict is encroachment of elephant corridors by human.

Killing of elephant in Assam is becoming common news, whether it is done deliberately or not. On 25^th of October 2009, a male elephant was poisoned by the villagers in Goalpara District. As many as 40 elephants were poisoned to death allegedly by the villagers in 2001. On 28^th February 2010, two female elephants were mowed down by goods train. 31 elephants are killed by train since 1998.

“The status of elephant can be the best indicator of the status of the forests.”

Project Tiger

Dear friends! Lets save the elephants before it is too late.

Curtsey: Project Tiger for population data.

Critically Endangered Pygmy Hog- Revised

Pygmy hog (Porcula salvania) is an endangered species of small wild pig, previously spread across the terai in India, Nepal, and Bhutan but now only found in Assam. The current world population is about 150 individuals or fewer. Recent conservation measures have increased the prospect of survival in the wild of this critically endangered species


They are about 55 to 71 cm long and stand at 20-30 cm with a tail of 2.5 cm. They weigh 6.6 to 11.8 kilograms. Their skin is dark brownish black and the fur is dark. Piglets are born brown with very faint yellowish stripes along the body length. The head is sharply tapered and they have a slight crest of hair on the forehead and on the back of the neck. Adult males have the upper canines visible on the sides of the mouth. They live for about 8 years, becoming sexually mature at 1-2 years. They breed seasonally before the monsoons giving birth to a litter of 3-6 after a gestation of about 115 days. In the wild they make small nests by digging a small trench and lining it with vegetation. During the heat of the day they stay within these nests. They feed on roots, tubers, insects, rodents, and small reptiles.


The pygmy hog is the sole representative of Porcula, making the conservation of this critically endangered species even more important as its extinction would result in the loss of a unique evolutionary branch of pigs. They used to be widespread in the tall, wet grasslands in the southern Himalayan foothills from Uttar Pradesh to Assam, through Nepal and north Bengal. However, human encroachment has largely destroyed the natural habitat of the pygmy hog by development, agriculture, domestic grazing and deliberate fires. Only one viable population remains in the Manas Tiger Reserve, but even there threats due to livestock grazing, poaching and fire persist. The total wild population has been estimated as less than 500 animals and the species is listed as "critically endangered" (Oliver, 1980; Oliver & Deb Roy, 1993; Pigs, Peccaries and Hippos Status Survey and Action Plan, 1993; Narayan, 2006). Their rarity contrasts greatly with the massive population of wild boars (Sus scrofa) in India.


Conservation of the species has been hampered due to the lack of public support, unlike that for charismatic South Asian mammals like the Bengal Tiger or Indian Rhino. Local political unrest in the area has also severely hampered effective conservation efforts, but these conflicts have now ceased.Pygmy hogs were exhibited in the zoos of London in the 19th century. Neither was captivity aimed at conservation nor did these captive populations survive. Zürich Zoo exhibited pygmy hogs from 1976 to 1978, but all females died. The success of captive breeding dramatically increased after the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme, PHCP, was established in 1995. The PHCP was established under the umbrella of a formal 'International Conservation Management and Research Agreement' by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, the IUCN's Pigs, Peccaries and Hippo Specialist Group, the Forest Department, Government of Assam, and the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust has launched a comprehensive conservation strategy including field status surveys of pygmy hogs and their habitats, behavioural studies, personnel training, local community awareness and assistance programmes and the establishment of a highly successful captive breeding program at the Pygmy Hog Research and Breeding Centre in Assam. Active habitat management has been established and a reintroduction programme has now been launched (Narayan, 2006).

The Success Story

Dr Goutam Narayan of Durrell Wildlife and EcoSystems-India said,"By 1964, the pygmy hog was thought to be extinct with no sightings reported for several years. Then in 1971, four pygmy hogs were recovered from a market in Paneri in north Assam and that gave everyone cause for hope."

After 12 years of patient conservation effort, which began with six wild pygmy hogs, Assam Forest officials and experts from the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP) have now released 16 hogs into the Sonai Rupai wildlife sanctuary, about 175km (110 miles) north of the state capital, Guwahati. (Reported by BBC News/South Asia;19 May 2008)

Dr Narayan is the man who deserve the credit for the success of the programme.

Assam's chief wildlife warden MC Malakar said,"This is a great day in the history of animal conservation throughout the world and we are proud of the achievement."

This is just the beginning of a new hope to see the pygmy hogs in the wild. But it is only possible with support from each one of us, who has a moral resposibility towards our environment. What we can do is to get more information and inform the ignorant to prevent further damage to the habit of these animals.

Let us Save the Planet which is in CRISIS!

I am Grateful to the Viewers of My Blogs

This is with reference to blog Critically Endangered Pygmy Hogs.
I am thankful to the viewers of my blog. Today I would like to extend my special thanks to

Dr. Goutam Narayan
Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme
Indira Nagar, Basistha
Guwahati, Assam 781029

I appreciate your concern for correctness of the mentioned article and your effort to inform me.

Extinctions will Affect Evolution of Species

Human activities and lack of concern for the environment will lead to the extinction of many species if proper actions were not taken on time. Extinction not only effect the biodiversity of the earth but also effect the complete process of evolution by which biodiversity is created.

According to Norman Myers, a Fellow at Green College, Oxford University,

It takes about 5 million years for the world to recover after a major extinction.

Evolution is being altered by the current extinction.

Certain biomes, such as coral reefs, may lose all of their inhabitants.

Gene pools will be so depleted that species may not be able to bounce back.

Species that have adapted to human environments will dominate.

New species may not evolve if tropical forests disappear.

Loss of species means the loss of sub-species.

Large mammals are likely to go extinct.

The damage caused by the current extinction is probably permanent.

There are so few elephants left, it is unlikely that new elephant species will ever emerge.

What we do now will set a course for evolution.

Critically Endangered Pygmy Hog

Pygmy hog (Porcula salvania) is an endangered species of small wild pig, previously spread across India, Nepal, and Bhutan but now only found in Assam. The current world population is about 150 individuals or fewer. Recent conservation measures have increased the prospect of survival in the wild of this critically endangered species

They are about 55 to 71 cm long and stand at 20-30 cm with a tail of 2.5 cm. They weigh 6.6 to 11.8 kilograms. Their skin is dark brownish black and the fur is dark. Piglets are born grayish-pink becoming brown with yellow stripes along the body length. The head is sharply tapered and they have a slight crest of hair on the forehead and on the back of the neck. Adult males have the upper canines visible on the sides of the mouth. They live for about 8 years, becoming sexually mature at 1-2 years. They breed seasonally before the monsoons giving birth to a litter of 3-6 after a gestation of 100 days. In the wild they make small nests by digging a small trench and lining it with vegetation. During the heat of the day they stay within these nests. They feed on roots, tubers, insects, rodents, and small reptiles.

The pygmy hog is the sole representative of Porcula, making the conservation of this critically endangered species even more important as its extinction would result in the loss of a unique evolutionary branch of pigs. They used to be widespread in the tall, wet grasslands in the southern Himalayan foothills from Uttar Pradesh to Assam, through Nepal and north Bengal. However, human encroachment has largely destroyed the natural habitat of the pygmy hog by development, agriculture, domestic grazing and deliberate fires. Only one viable population remains in the Manas Tiger Reserve, but even there threats due to livestock grazing, poaching and fire persist. The total wild population has been estimated as less than 150 animals and the species is listed as "critically endangered" (Oliver, 1980; Oliver & Deb Roy, 1993; Pigs, Peccaries and Hippos Status Survey and Action Plan, 1993; Narayan, 2006). Their rarity contrasts greatly with the massive population of wild boars (Sus scrofa) in India.

Conservation of the species has been hampered due to the lack of public support, unlike that for charismatic South Asian mammals like the Bengal Tiger or Indian Rhino. Local political unrest in the area has also severely hampered effective conservation efforts, but these conflicts have now ceased.Pygmy hogs were exhibited in the zoos of London and Berlin in the 19th century. Neither was captivity aimed at conservation nor did these captive populations survive. Zürich Zoo exhibited pygmy hogs from 1976 to 1978, but all females died. The success of captive breeding dramatically increased after the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme, PHCP, was established in 1995. The PHCP was established under the umbrella of a formal 'International Conservation Management and Research Agreement' by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, the IUCN's Pigs, Peccaries and Hippo Specialist Group, the Forest Department, Government of Assam, and the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust has launched a comprehensive conservation strategy including field status surveys of pygmy hogs and their habitats, behavioural studies, personnel training, local community awareness and assistance programmes and the establishment of a highly successful captive breeding program at the Pygmy Hog Research and Breeding Centre in Assam. Active habitat management has been established and a reintroduction programme has now been launched (Narayan, 2006).

A Crime Not Noticed!

It was a few years back; I visited Chennai and its Marina Beach, a memorable experience in itself. What could be a better way of relaxing in a summer evening than to take a walk along the sea-beach? I can remember the day as vividly today as I did on that same day. While I was enjoying my walk, I came across a young kid; he may be fifteen or sixteen years old. He was carrying a bag filled with some coral reef, star fish and sea-shell. He insisted me to buy some as a momentous. I was fascinated by the items in his bag and curious to see more. After a tough bargain over the price, I decided to by a piece of coral reef and two dried up star fish. The beauties of these items were irresistible. Back home they enhanced the beauty of my living room. They often reminded me of that day.

A few days back I learn some more details about coral, and the threats faced by it due to human activities. I did not know that the ocean took thousands of years to produce it so that countless number of other organisms could live with it in a symbiotic relationship. I have taken away a part of it and disturbed the ocean ecology. Like me, there are thousands and thousands tourist who might have taken it as a momentous. If all of us continue to fulfill our greed, it will not be long that the entire coral reef will be destroyed and eventually lead to a disaster in the ocean ecology.

I, now, realize that the kid was doing a crime, and I helped him to do more. I did not notice that I was involved in a crime against the nature. May be the kid did not know what he was doing just like I did.

Now the piece of coral reef in my living room reminds me of the crime every time I look at it and I suffer for the crime I committed.

I am sharing my story so that other should not suffer like I do.

Fastest Land Animal on Earth is Moving Fast towards Extinction.

I am talking about Cheetah, the fastest land animal which is a critically endangered species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals, especially the Asiatic Cheetah. After the extinction of Indian Cheetah, only the Iranian Cheetah is left with a meager population of 50-60.

It is far more saddening that this animal received its name from the oldest Indian language i.e. from Sanskrit word chitraka meaning “speckled”, yet Cheetah is extinct in India.

Cheetah was always associated with Indian hunting stories. It is said that Emperor Akbar had 1000 hunting cheetah which is depicted in many persian and indian miniature painting. Now though trials are going on to clone the Indian Cheetah and bring back these beautiful animal ,but only increasing the population of Cheetah can not solve the problem. We have to recreate its habitat and also balance the feeding ecology. As Cheetah feed mainly on antelope, so return of Cheetah may lead to extiction of some of these species like the Blackbuck and Nilgai, both are near threaten species.

We, as a superior species than rest, have the moral responsibility to protect all other creature.
Let us do it.