World's tiniest pig, once thought extinct, returning to the wild

[FfFfFfFF 58,372]

In the thick, tall grasslands of the Himalaya foothills lives the endangered pygmy hog, a species so small its piglets can fit in your pocket. Standing about 10 inches tall, the shy animal once roamed the border regions of India, Nepal, and Bhutan, snuffling about for insects and tubers. 

But a century of habitat degradation and destruction—especially conversion of grasslands for agriculture use—devastated the pygmy hog, and until its “rediscovery” in 1971, many people thought the animal was likely extinct.

In the mid-1990s, conservationists captured some wild pigs and began breeding them in captivity, releasing them back into Assam, a state in northeastern India where a tiny wild population had survived. 

Twenty-five years later, these conservation efforts are paying off, experts say: Altogether, between 300 and 400 animals remain in the wild, and 76 in captivity, and the species appears to be thriving.

Seventeen species of wild pig live around the world, and almost all of them are endangered. But what makes the pygmy hog so special (other than its diminutive size) is its evolutionary uniqueness: It’s the only species from the genus Porcula, says Matthew Linkie, Asia coordinator for the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Wild Pig Specialist Group.

The conservation program is giving the species “more than a fighting chance for survival,” adds Linkie, who commended the team’s recent efforts to protect captive pygmy hog populations from diseases such as African swine fever, a viral disease that appeared in the region in 2020 along with COVID-19. 

https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/animals/2021/05/worlds-tiniest-pig-once-thought-extinct-returning-to-the-wild

[Hyperobject 66,771]

this is so cute 

[Aphasic 4,033]

10 minutes ago, FfFfFfFF said:

In the thick, tall grasslands of the Himalaya foothills lives the endangered pygmy hog, a species so small its piglets can fit in your pocket. Standing about 10 inches tall, the shy animal once roamed the border regions of India, Nepal, and Bhutan, snuffling about for insects and tubers. 

But a century of habitat degradation and destruction—especially conversion of grasslands for agriculture use—devastated the pygmy hog, and until its “rediscovery” in 1971, many people thought the animal was likely extinct.

In the mid-1990s, conservationists captured some wild pigs and began breeding them in captivity, releasing them back into Assam, a state in northeastern India where a tiny wild population had survived. 

Twenty-five years later, these conservation efforts are paying off, experts say: Altogether, between 300 and 400 animals remain in the wild, and 76 in captivity, and the species appears to be thriving.

Seventeen species of wild pig live around the world, and almost all of them are endangered. But what makes the pygmy hog so special (other than its diminutive size) is its evolutionary uniqueness: It’s the only species from the genus Porcula, says Matthew Linkie, Asia coordinator for the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Wild Pig Specialist Group.

The conservation program is giving the species “more than a fighting chance for survival,” adds Linkie, who commended the team’s recent efforts to protect captive pygmy hog populations from diseases such as African swine fever, a viral disease that appeared in the region in 2020 along with COVID-19. 

https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/animals/2021/05/worlds-tiniest-pig-once-thought-extinct-returning-to-the-wild

OMG! My heart just melted and I think I won't eat bacon anymore. ❤️

[PunkTheFunk 125,719]

I had some BBQ pork today so I'm going to excuse myself from this thread.

[Magic Mike 2,771]

Omg  I want one

[Sneaky Oliver 23,020]

12 minutes ago, Aphasic said:

OMG! My heart just melted and I think I won't eat bacon anymore. ❤️

Not this little piggy saving the future of his race by showing up on GGD  

animals are not food! 

[Aphasic 4,033]

9 minutes ago, Sneaky Oliver said:

Not this little piggy saving the future of his race by showing up on GGD  

animals are not food! 

Animals are food, that's a fact. Anything that provides calories and nutrients to live beings can be considered food.

Whether that's cruel and counterproductive is a different story.

[Mindblown 6,746]

[Horny Chicken 10,952]

12 minutes ago, Sneaky Oliver said:

Not this little piggy saving the future of his race by showing up on GGD  

animals are not food! 

I hate meat eaters too.