Strange, the world's smallest pig breed thought to be extinct

There are many different species of pigs on our planet that are enormous in size. Some of them can reach a weight of more than 1 ton. However, not all pigs are so large, and on our planet there is a species of pig that, when fully grown, weighs no more than 10 kg.

The world's smallest pig was first discovered in 1857, but its population declined over the following decades and was once thought to be extinct.

Pygmy pigs - the world's smallest pig species - originate from the alluvial grasslands of the foothills of the Himalayas. This animal is quite shy by nature.

However, they were rediscovered in the 1970s by conservationists, who planned to breed the tiny pigs in the 1990s to increase their population.

They are only about 20cm tall and weigh no more than 9kg.

Pygmy pigs have the scientific name Porcula salvania , also known by another name, dwarf pigs, dwarf wild pigs . They have a pointed and long head, a short, round and slim body, gray-brown skin with dark brown fur. When newborn piglets are pink-gray in color and weigh less than 250 grams, about the size of a normal apple, their fur will gradually turn brown with many yellow stripes when they grow up.

Adult pygmy pigs have longer hair but a shorter tail, only 3cm long. They have four tusks (fangs) that grow continuously in their mouths, and the upper tusks of adult males protrude from their lips. Females have only three pairs of teats under their bellies, which is quite unusual compared to other pigs. They are only about 20cm tall and weigh no more than 9kg.

The main habitat of dwarf pigs is dense grass, they especially like to live in riverside grasslands, because they are very small, when standing they will not be as tall as the grass, so they can hide in the grass and spend most of the day looking for food. This is also an omnivorous pig like other pigs.

The gestation period of a sow is usually about 100 days.

Most pygmy pigs live in herds of four to six, but some herds can number more than 20. However, adult male pygmy pigs spend most of their time alone and only join groups with adult sows during mating and breeding.

The gestation period of sows is usually about 100 days, much shorter than the gestation period of other pigs (mostly about 5 months), and their lifespan is usually about 10 to 12 years, also much shorter than other pigs.

Pygmy pigs often have communal nests much like rabbits, they will use their noses to dig a long hole lined with hay underneath, when the weather conditions are bad or in the colder seasons, they will tend to hide in cozy nests.

Some of you may have heard that teacup pigs are also very small, but this type of pig is artificially bred and crossbred, the breeding process is relatively complicated, moreover, teacup pigs when they reach adulthood can weigh up to 30 kg or even larger. This size is much larger than dwarf pigs.

Pygmy pigs often have communal nests much like rabbits.

They are once again becoming part of the ecosystem in the state of Assam, according to a National Geographic report.

The pigs were raised in captivity before being released in Assam. Subsequent conservation work has increased their numbers to 300-400 in the wild, while 76 are still in captivity, the report added.

Large numbers of the world's smallest pigs have been released in Manas and Orang National Parks. Some have been released in the Barandi and Sonai Rupai National Sanctuaries in Assam.

The pigs began breeding there more than two decades ago, and as many as 130 of the tiny animals were released into the sites between 2008 and 2020, the report said.

Adult pygmy pigs have longer hair but short tails, only 3cm long.

Today, there are a few remaining populations in Manas National Park in Assam state, but they are threatened by competition for food with other species and the risk of grassland fires in their habitat during the dry season.

Parag Deka, project director of the Hog Pygmy Conservation Programme, based in Guwahati, said there are plans to release at least 60 more pigs into Manas over the next five years.

'It's very important to me to continue and save this species from extinction. We should all be looking for a purpose in life. When I got involved in this project, I realized that this could give me that purpose,' Deka said.