Guwahati, Sept. 27: There is hope of a brighter future for the critically endangered pygmy hog ( Porcula salvania), the rarest and smallest pig in the world.

In 1996, the species was found only Manas National Park in Assam but now the state houses two reintroduced populations and two captive populations of the species, Dr Goutam Narayan, who recently received an international award for conservation of the animal, said.

Narayan is the first Indian conservationist to get the Harry Messel Award for Conservation Leadership that was announced during the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Leaders' Meeting held in Abu Dhabi from September 16-19.

"The pygmy hog as a species is certainly more secure now with two reintroduced populations and two captive populations compared to just one original population before 1996 when the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme was started," Narayan, project director of the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP), told The Telegraph.

In 1995, Narayan joined Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and established the PHCP in Assam with then IUCN-Wild Pig Specialist Group (WPSG) chairman William Oliver to save the animals on the verge of extinction.

The citation mentions that Narayan got the award "in recognition of his pivotal role on leading the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP) in north-eastern India since 1995, thus saving a whole genus from extinction".

The Harry Messel Award recognises exemplary service to the IUCN Species Survival Commission, especially from individuals who have made a specific contribution to species conservation on the ground or through their leadership as part of the work of an SSC specialist group or task force.

The two captive populations are at Basistha in Guwahati and Potasali in Nameri and the two reintroduced populations are at Sonai Rupai wildlife sanctuary and Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park. Currently, the pygmy hog is restricted to a single viable population in the wild - at Manas Tiger Reserve.

These animals are not found in the wild anywhere else on earth.

The project has established a system for monitoring of released pygmy hogs and their grassland habitat and is exploring potential sites for future reintroduction.

Narayan said the pygmy hog is one of the most useful indicators of current wildlife management practices in these habitats as it has disappeared from grasslands that still support some other species. "Preserving these important habitats, which are some of the richest in the Indian subcontinent in terms of their biodiversity, will also help in maintaining long-term ecological and economic well-being of the region," he said.

He admits the threat to the original Manas population still exists but the risk is lower in Orang National Park where the reintroduction has been successful.

"We have learnt a great deal about the species since our project was started but certain things still need to be found and we are using technology like radio telemetry and genetic studies to unravel them," Narayan added.