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Das Zwergwildschwein (Porcula salvania, Syn.: Sus salvania) ist eine Säugetierart aus der Familie der Echten Schweine (Suidae). Es ist die kleinste Schweineart und hochgradig gefährdet.
Die Männchen erreichen eine Kopf-Rumpf-Länge von 65 bis 70 Zentimetern, die Weibchen kommen auf 55 bis 62 Zentimeter. Die Schulterhöhe beträgt 20 bis 30 Zentimeter, der Schwanz ist ein kurzer Stummel von 2 bis 3 Zentimetern Länge. Das Gewicht beträgt bei den Männchen 7,7 bis 11,8 Kilogramm und bei den Weibchen 6,6 bis 7,6 Kilogramm. Die Männchen sind robuster gebaut und haben außerdem längere Eckzähne als die Weibchen. Der Körper ist abgerundet und die Beine sind verhältnismäßig kurz. Das Fell ist graubraun gefärbt, an der Unterseite ist es etwas heller.
Zwergwildschweine sind im nördlichen Südasien beheimatet; ihr ursprüngliches Verbreitungsgebiet umfasste das nordöstliche Indien sowie das südliche Nepal und Bhutan. Heute leben sie allerdings nur mehr in zwei Wildparks im indischen Bundesstaat Assam. Ihr Lebensraum sind dichte, hochgewachsene Grasländer, die oft mit Bäumen und Büschen bestanden sind.
Zwergwildschweine leben in Familiengruppen aus meist vier bis fünf Tieren, die sich aus einem oder zwei Weibchen und ihrem Nachwuchs zusammensetzen. Die erwachsenen Männchen leben außerhalb der Paarungszeit einzelgängerisch, halten aber manchmal losen Kontakt zu der zugehörigen Familie. Die Tiere sind eher tagaktiv, ruhen aber während der Mittagshitze. Aufgeschreckte Zwergwildschweine erreichen hohe Laufgeschwindigkeiten; der Naturforscher Brian Houghton Hodgson, der sie als erstes wissenschaftlich beschrieb, berichtet jedoch auch, dass sie furchtlos Störer attackieren würden.[1]
Als einzige Schweine benutzen Zwergwildschweine das ganze Jahr über Schlafnester. Dazu graben sie eine Mulde, die mit Gräsern und anderem Pflanzenmaterial gepolstert wird. Nester werden von der Familiengruppe gemeinsam benutzt, was auch dazu beiträgt, den Wärmeverlust in kalten Nächten zu verringern.
Zwergwildschweine sind wie die meisten Schweine Allesfresser. Sie nehmen Wurzeln, Knollen, Früchte und andere Pflanzen, aber auch Insekten, Eier, kleine Wirbeltiere und Aas zu sich. Sie verbringen rund sechs bis zehn Stunden pro Tag mit der Nahrungssuche. Während der Nahrungssuche durchwühlen sie in schweinetypischer Weise den Boden. Während der Nahrungssuche halten sie durch Grunzlaute mit anderen Mitgliedern ihrer Gruppe Kontakt.[1]
Nach einer Tragzeit von rund 100 Tagen kommen gewöhnlich drei bis vier Junge zur Welt. Die Reproduktion ist saisonal und erreicht bei Beginn des Monsuns Ende April bis Mai ihren Höhepunkt. Die Jungtiere erreichen bei der Geburt eine Größe von 16 bis 19,5 Zentimetern und ein Gewicht von 133 bis 250 Gramm. Die Haut hat zunächst eine gräulich-rosa Färbung. Nach ungefähr 11 Tagen bekommen die Jungen ein braun-gelb gestreiftes Fell. Die Aufzucht geschieht durch die Weibchen der Familiengruppe. Die Geschlechtsreife tritt mit 13 bis 33 Monaten ein, das Höchstalter dieser Tiere kann 10 bis 12 Jahre betragen.
Das Zwergwildschwein wurde im Jahr 1848 durch den britischen Naturforscher Brian Houghton Hodgson erstmals wissenschaftlich beschrieben und der gleichzeitig mit der Erstbeschreibung eingeführten Gattung Porcula zugeordnet. Später wurde die Art als Schwesterart des Wildschweins (Sus scrofa) der Gattung Sus zugeordnet.[2] Eine im Jahr 2007 veröffentlichte Analyse der mitochondrialen DNA ergab jedoch, dass das Zwergwildschwein nicht nahe mit dem Wildschwein verwandt ist und einer eigenständigen Gattung zugeordnet werden muss.[3] Im Huftierband des Handbook of the Mammals of the World, einem Standardwerk zur Mammalogie, wird das Zwergwildschwein wieder als einzige Art der Gattung Porcula zugeordnet.[4]
Zwergwildschweine zählen zu den bedrohten Arten. Die Gründe dafür liegen einerseits in der Bejagung wegen ihres Fleisches, andererseits in der Zerstörung des Lebensraumes durch Siedlung, Überweidung, landwirtschaftliche Beeinträchtigung, Brandrodung und Hochwasserregulierungsprojekte. Diese Gründe haben dazu geführt, dass die Bestände drastisch zurückgingen, und Ende der 1950er-Jahre hielt man das Zwergwildschwein bereits für ausgestorben.
1971 wurde die Art von John Tessier Yandell, einem Sekretär vom Assam Wildlife Management, im Manas-Nationalpark in Assam wiederentdeckt; daneben fand man noch eine kleine Population im Barnadi-Wildreservat. Trotz laufender Schutzmaßnahmen wird die Anzahl der geschlechtsreifen Tiere auf weniger als 250 Exemplare geschätzt. Die IUCN klassifiziert das Zwergwildschwein in die Kategorie „vom Aussterben bedroht“ (critically endangered).
1977 wurden im Fell von Zwergwildschweinen drei Exemplare der ektoparasitisch lebenden Laus Haematopinus oliveri gefunden, die seitdem nicht mehr nachgewiesen wurde.
Das Zwergwildschwein war bisher nur höchst selten in westlichen Zoos zu sehen. Im 19. Jahrhundert hielten der Berliner und der Londoner Zoo diese Tiere. 1976 erhielt der Zoo Zürich das Pärchen Cal und Cutta, das sehr bekannt wurde. Cutta wurde 1977 Mutter von fünf Frischlingen, starb allerdings, als die Jungen drei Monate alt waren. Die Aufzucht der Jungen gelang jedoch. 1978 starb das letzte Weibchen, Dira, an den Folgen einer schweren Geburt.
Heute ist der einzige Halter von Zwergwildschweinen weltweit eine Zuchtstation in Indien, die vom Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust unterstützt wird. Dort werden dreißig Zuchtpärchen gepflegt. Bis 2016 wurden 100 Tiere aus Nachzuchten ausgewildert.
Das Zwergwildschwein (Porcula salvania, Syn.: Sus salvania) ist eine Säugetierart aus der Familie der Echten Schweine (Suidae). Es ist die kleinste Schweineart und hochgradig gefährdet.
The pygmy hog (Porcula salvania) is the rarest species of pig in the world today, and is the only species in the genus Porcula. It is also the smallest species of pig in the world. Endemic to India, the pygmy hog is a suid native of the alluvial grasslands in the foothills of the Himalayas, at elevations of up to 300 m (980 ft). Populations of pygmy hogs were once widespread in the tall, dense, wet grasslands in a narrow belt of the southern Himalayan foothills from north-western Uttar Pradesh to Assam, through southern Nepal and North Bengal, and possibly extending into contiguous habitats in southern Bhutan.[3] Due to human encroachment and destruction of the pygmy hogs’ natural habitat, the species was thought to have gone extinct in the early 1960s. However, in 1971, a small pygmy hog population was rediscovered as they were fleeing a fire near the Barnadi Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam. Today, the only known population of pygmy hogs resides in Manas National Park in Assam, India.[3] The population is threatened by livestock grazing, fires and poaching. With an estimated population of less than 250 mature individuals, the pygmy hog is listed as an Endangered species on the IUCN Red List, and conservation efforts such as captive breeding and re-release programs are currently being employed.[2]
Porcula salvania was the scientific name proposed by Brian Houghton Hodgson in 1847 who described a pygmy hog from the Sikkim Terai. Hodgson argued that the pygmy hog was a genus separate from Sus based upon its unique morphological differences, particularly pertaining to its skull and dental features.[4] Hodgson's classification of the pygmy hog as a separate genus was challenged with the argument that the pygmy hog's unique physical characteristics were “superficial” and merely a result of its small body size, therefore deeming these features insufficient to warrant separate distinction from other members of the genus Sus.[5] Its species epithet salvania is after the sal forests where the pygmy hog was found.[6][7] Although the decision was not unanimous, the pygmy hog was later determined to be a member of the genus Sus and was renamed Sus salvanius.[8][9]
A 2007 genetic analysis of the variation in three mitochondrial DNA loci, combined with rigorous statistical testing of other phylogenetic hypotheses, confirmed Hodgson's original classification that the pygmy hog is a separate and distinct genus from Sus.[10] The analysis also showed that the pygmy hog had never clustered with the wild boar or any other Sus species.[5] Based upon this genetic analysis and resulting evidence, the pygmy hog has again been re-classified as its own unique genus Porcula, which is a sister lineage of Sus. Genome analyses support the independence of Porcula.[11]
The skin of the pygmy hog is a grayish-brown color, and its coat consists of blackish-brown bristles. Its irises are hazel brown, and it usually has no facial warts. Its head is sharply tapered with a slight crest of hair on the forehead and on the back of the neck. It has well-developed teeth, with upturned canines and molars with rounded cusps.[12] Adult males have the upper canines visible on the sides of their mouths.[3]
As suggested by its name, the pygmy hog differs from other members of the Suidae by the extreme reduction of its body size, and it is the smallest pig species. An adult pygmy hog weighs between 6.6 and 9.7 kg (15 and 21 lb), with the average male weighing about 8.5 kg (19 lb).[12] From its hoof to its shoulder, the pygmy hog ranges from about 20–25 cm (7.9–9.8 in)} tall and is about 55–71 cm (22–28 in) long. While females are only slightly smaller than males, both sexes have tails approximately 2.5 cm (0.98 in) long.[3]
The pygmy hog is endemic to northeast India and was once widespread in the tall, wet grasslands of the Terai from Uttar Pradesh through Nepal to Bangladesh, northern West Bengal and Assam.[8][9][2] The species was dependent on early successional riverine communities which were tall, dense grasslands, commonly referred to as ‘thatchland’. In its most pristine state, this ‘thatchland’ was intermixed with a wide variety of herbaceous plants and early colonizing shrubs and young trees.[3] Although many species of tall grasses dominated these various areas, the most important to the pygmy hog communities were areas which dominated by Saccharum munja, S. spontaneum, S. bengalenis, Themeda villosa, Narenga porphyrocoma, and Imperata cylindrical. Growing up to 1 to 4 m in height, these grass species were maintained by periodic burning, which posed a great threat to the pygmy hog communities. Since these grass species were also commercially important thatching grasses, they were harvested annually, thereby also causing great disruption to the pygmy hog habitat.[3]
The pygmy hog is currently on the verge of extinction. By 2002, the only viable population, consisting of only a few hundred individuals, currently exists in small grassland pockets of Manas National Park in Assam, India, and an adjacent reserve forest in the Manas Tiger Reserve, and nowhere else in the world.[13][14] Today, it is estimated that only about 250 pygmy hogs still remain in existence.[15]
Pygmy hogs are social animals that live in small family groups consisting of one or two females and their offspring. They are non-territorial, and sometimes family groups can consist of as many as 20 individuals. Adult males are generally solitary and live separately rather than with the family group. However, they do maintain loose contact with the basic family group throughout the year.[12]
Pygmy hogs also have a very unique nesting behavior which the tall grasses of their habitat enable them to perform. In the wild, they make firm nests in which to sleep by digging small trenches, using dry grasses and vegetation to line them.[16] They sleep in these nests at night, but also retreat to these nests during the heat of the day, and use them to warm up in the winter. The nests are also used for birthing and to hide and protect newborn piglets.
Piglets are born greyish-pink in color, and develop a brown coat with faint yellow stripes along their body length before they attain their final adult coloring. Their average lifespan is between 8 and 14 years in the wild, and they become sexually mature at one or two years old. Breeding occurs seasonally before the monsoons, and after a gestation period of 100 days, females give birth to litters ranging between two and six offspring, with the average litter size being three to four piglets.[3]
Pygmy hogs are diurnal and forage for food during the daylight hours. Foraging usually takes place for about 6 to 10 hours a day, with the pygmy hog generally taking a break midday in order to escape the high heat of the afternoon. Pygmy hogs are also omnivorous and feed primarily on roots, tubers, and other vegetative food, as well as on insects, rodents, eggs, young birds, and small reptiles.[12][17]
Pygmy hogs also fulfill important ecological roles within their ecosystems, since by using their snouts to dig for food, they not only spread seeds from plants, but they also enhance the quality of the soil. They sometimes fall prey to pythons, raptors and other carnivores.[17]
The pygmy hog is considered to be one of the most threatened mammalian species today, and has been listed as “critically endangered” by the International Union of Conservation (IUCN) since 2008. Unfortunately, humans have posed one of the greatest threats to pygmy hogs, as they have severely and negatively impacted the pygmy hogs’ natural habitat. Since pygmy hogs live among some of the most important ‘thatching grasses’, their native environments are being destroyed by humans for commercial purposes. Most of these grasses are harvested annually (even those in areas which are supposedly protected), and most of them are subjected to wide-scale annual or twice-annual burning as a means of maintenance. Although ecologists have suggested burning at the beginning of the dry season in December or early January, and only once every 2–3 years, most of the grasslands continue to be burnt annually during the dry season, thereby drastically affecting the flora and faunal diversity of the area.[3]
As the survival of the pygmy hog is dependent on these tall grasses, the pygmy hog has been driven further into the corner as many of the tall grasses are continuously being harvested and burned, and others are being replaced by short grass species. In Assam, much of the pygmy hog's habitat has also been lost to settlements and agriculture due to rapid human population growth. Loss and degradation of habitat has also occurred due to livestock grazing, commercial forestry and the planting of trees in the grasslands, and due to flood control schemes. In addition, although hunting the pygmy hog for meat by the native tribes of Assam had previously not been a problem, it is now posing a very real threat to the small population of pygmy hogs that still exist in the wild.[3]
The pygmy hog is protected under Schedule I of India's Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, providing absolute protection with the highest penalties for offenders. The pygmy hog is also listed in CITES Appendix I, which includes all species of plants and animals threatened with extinction.[18]
The Pygmy Hog Conservation Breeding Programme (PHCP) was formed in 1995 in order to aid the implementation of a broad conservation action for not only this critically endangered species, but for its endangered habitat as well. In an effort to increase the small numbers of pygmy hogs, one of the Programme's main objectives was to implement a captive breeding and reintroduction program in order to protect against possible early extinction of the species. Two males and four female pygmy hogs were caught under permit in Manas National Park and transferred to a facility in Basistha, India, where they became the founders of the current captive-breeding program. After two years, the breeding program was so successful that the pygmy hog population had increased by over 600%, and an additional breeding facility was established at Potasali in Nameri in order to house the increasing population.[3][19] Realizing that the pygmy hogs cannot be released directly from the breeding facility back into the wild, the PHCP utilizes a “soft release” method in order to pre-condition the animals to survive in the wild. The pre-conditioning process takes about five months, and occurs in a specially constructed ‘pre-release’ facility in Potasali. While here, the pygmy hogs are divided into social groups, and live in environments simulated to resemble their natural habitat where they can engage in natural foraging, nest-building, and other natural behaviors. Just prior to their release, the pygmy hogs are taken to a reintroduction site where they are maintained for two to three days to ensure their readiness before they are officially released back into the wild.[19] Between 2008 and 2016, one hundred captive-bred pygmy hogs have been successfully reintroduced into the wild at three different locations in Assam, these being Sonai Rupai, Orang, and Barnadi. Meanwhile, a further 60 remain in captivity as a safety net population in order to continue to produce new pygmy hogs for future releases.[20][21] In addition to their captive breeding program, the PHCP is also working to restore and maintain the natural habitat of the pygmy hogs. As the survival of the pygmy hog is dependent on grassland habitats, the PHCP is working closely with forest department officials in Assam to ensure that these grasslands are maintained so that the pygmy hog can be saved.[19]
The pygmy hog (Porcula salvania) is the rarest species of pig in the world today, and is the only species in the genus Porcula. It is also the smallest species of pig in the world. Endemic to India, the pygmy hog is a suid native of the alluvial grasslands in the foothills of the Himalayas, at elevations of up to 300 m (980 ft). Populations of pygmy hogs were once widespread in the tall, dense, wet grasslands in a narrow belt of the southern Himalayan foothills from north-western Uttar Pradesh to Assam, through southern Nepal and North Bengal, and possibly extending into contiguous habitats in southern Bhutan. Due to human encroachment and destruction of the pygmy hogs’ natural habitat, the species was thought to have gone extinct in the early 1960s. However, in 1971, a small pygmy hog population was rediscovered as they were fleeing a fire near the Barnadi Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam. Today, the only known population of pygmy hogs resides in Manas National Park in Assam, India. The population is threatened by livestock grazing, fires and poaching. With an estimated population of less than 250 mature individuals, the pygmy hog is listed as an Endangered species on the IUCN Red List, and conservation efforts such as captive breeding and re-release programs are currently being employed.
El jabalí enano (Sus salvanius) es una especie de mamífero artiodáctilo de la familia Suidae.[2] Es posiblemente la especie de la familia Suidae en mayor peligro de extinción. Sólo habita en Bután, el sur de Nepal y el norte de la India.[3] Su tamaño es similar al de un conejo. De acuerdo con Funk et al., debería clasificarse en un nuevo género monotípico, Porcula, y ser renombrada como Porcula salvania.[4]
Datos: Q244447
Multimedia:
Especies: Porcula salvania
El jabalí enano (Sus salvanius) es una especie de mamífero artiodáctilo de la familia Suidae. Es posiblemente la especie de la familia Suidae en mayor peligro de extinción. Sólo habita en Bután, el sur de Nepal y el norte de la India. Su tamaño es similar al de un conejo. De acuerdo con Funk et al., debería clasificarse en un nuevo género monotípico, Porcula, y ser renombrada como Porcula salvania.
Le sanglier nain (Porcula salvania) est un mammifère proche du sanglier, mais plus petit et au museau pointu.
Il ne dépasse pas les 60 centimètres de long pour 30 centimètres de hauteur au garrot maximum.
Il vit en groupe de 5-6 à 15-20 individus.
L'espèce a été décrite pour la première fois comme le seul membre du genre Porcula, par Brian Houghton Hodgson, mais a ensuite été classée avec d'autres espèces de porcs du genre Sus et nommée Sus salvanius. Une analyse génétique de 2007 de la variation dans une grande section de l'ADN mitochondrial a suggéré que la classification originale du sanglier nain en tant que genre distinct était justifiée[1]. La résurrection du statut de genre d'origine et du nom d'espèce Porcula salvania a été adoptée par GenBank. Le nom de l'espèce salvania vient des forêts de sal où il a été trouvé.
Localisation : Bhoutan
C'est une espèce très menacée, en danger critique de disparition, victime de la chasse, du braconnage et de la dégradation ou destruction de son habitat. Il a fait pour ces raisons l'objet d'un élevage conservatoire susceptible de contribuer à des programmes de réintroduction.
Le sanglier nain (Porcula salvania) est un mammifère proche du sanglier, mais plus petit et au museau pointu.
Il ne dépasse pas les 60 centimètres de long pour 30 centimètres de hauteur au garrot maximum.
Il vit en groupe de 5-6 à 15-20 individus.
Il cinghiale nano (Porcula salvania Hodgson, 1847) è una specie di suide criticamente minacciata[2], diffusa in passato in Bhutan, India e Nepal ma oggi presente solamente in India (Assam)[1]. Attualmente ne rimangono circa 100-250 esemplari adulti. Fortunatamente, la messa in atto di recenti misure di protezione ha incrementato le possibilità di sopravvivenza in natura di questa rarissima specie.
Il maschio misura 61-71 cm di lunghezza testa-corpo, per un peso di 8-10 kg; la femmina misura 55-62 cm di lunghezza testa-corpo, per un peso di 6-8 kg[3].
Come indica chiaramente il suo nome comune, il cinghiale nano è il rappresentante più piccolo dell'intera famiglia dei Suidi, oltre ad esserne anche il più minacciato. Questo piccolo ungulato presenta arti relativamente corti, dorso breve e arrotondato e coda estremamente breve[3]. Il manto, grigio-bruno lungo il dorso e chiaro sulle regioni inferiori, diviene più lungo dietro la regione scapolare[3]. Alla nascita i piccoli presentano un colore rosa-grigiastro, ma in seguito, prima di indossare la livrea degli adulti, sviluppano un manto marrone segnato da tenui strisce di colore ocra[4]. I maschi adulti sono più grandi e più robusti delle femmine; presentano inoltre zanne (denti canini) ben visibili e una banda di peli scuri lungo il dorso del naso[3]. Questi animali emettono deboli grugniti utilizzati per mantenersi in contatto tra loro quando si spostano attraverso la fitta vegetazione del loro habitat[3]. Recentemente, le analisi genetiche hanno dimostrato che il cinghiale nano è l'unico rappresentante del genere Porcula, e non un membro del genere Sus, quello a cui appartiene anche il maiale domestico, come ritenuto in precedenza[5].
Le femmine di cinghiale nano vivono in piccoli gruppi, costituiti da uno o due adulti e dai loro piccoli[4]. I maschi, invece, conducono un'esistenza solitaria, tranne che nella stagione degli amori, che ha inizio verso la fine di novembre[3]. Durante questo periodo i maschi rivali competono tra loro per avere accesso alle femmine, utilizzando le stesse posture di minaccia tipiche dei loro cugini: adottando una posizione laterale, rizzano le setole e scuotono la testa qua e là sbadigliando e arricciando le labbra per mettere in mostra i canini[3]. Le femmine gravide si allontanano dal gruppo in cui vivono per dare alla luce i piccoli, generalmente da quattro a sei, dopo un periodo di gestazione di circa 120 giorni[3]. Una caratteristica peculiare dei rappresentanti di questa specie, di entrambi i sessi, è quella di utilizzare dei nidi durante tutto l'anno. L'intero gruppo familiare utilizza lo stesso nido, costruito in una depressione del terreno e rivestito con erba[4].
I cinghiali nani si nutrono di una grande varietà di sostanze, tra le quali radici, erba, frutti, insetti e lombrichi[3]. Ciascun gruppo occupa un piccolo home range di circa 25 ettari e utilizza regolarmente sentieri ben visibili attraverso le distese dell'imponente erba elefante. Questi animali si spostano procedendo in fila indiana, con gli adulti che occupano le prime e le ultime posizioni della processione[4].
Nonostante in passato il cinghiale nano fosse presente in gran parte delle colline ai piedi dell'Himalaya, in Nepal, Bhutan e India[6], negli anni '60 venne addirittura considerato estinto, prima di essere «riscoperto» nel 1971. Da allora, comunque, il numero di esemplari è sceso drasticamente e oggi l'unica popolazione consistente è quella che vive all'interno del parco nazionale di Manas nel nord-ovest dell'Assam (India)[3]. La specie vive generalmente negli habitat propri delle pianure alluvionali, come le foreste secondarie, le distese di erba alta e le associazioni miste di arbusti[3].
Le distese di erba alta in cui vive il cinghiale nano sono state quasi completamente distrutte dallo sviluppo umano, dall'agricoltura, dal pascolo del bestiame domestico e dagli incendi appiccati deliberatamente. La sola popolazione consistente di cinghiale nano è oggi ristretta al parco nazionale di Manas, dove attualmente rimangono non più di 100-150 esemplari[4]. Perfino entro i confini del parco, comunque, la specie è minacciata dal pascolo del bestiame, dal bracconaggio e dagli incendi, mentre i continui disordini politici nella regione ostacolano seriamente la messa a punto di efficaci misure di conservazione.
In India il cinghiale nano è protetto dal 1972 e il commercio internazionale della specie è vietato ai termini dell'Appendice I della Convenzione sul commercio internazionale delle specie minacciate di estinzione (CITES). Il parco nazionale di Manas venne dichiarato patrimonio dell'umanità dall'UNESCO nel 1986. Nel 1995 venne istituito il Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP), sotto l'egida del Pigs, Peccaries and Hippo Specialist Group della IUCN[1], del Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust[7] e di importanti autorità governative locali e nazionali[3]. Lo staff del PHCP ha adottato una strategia poliedrica, comprendente indagini sul campo, studi comportamentali, allevamento in cattività, formazione del personale e programmi di sensibilizzazione e assistenza della comunità locale[3]. Nel 1996 venne fondato il Pygmy Hog Research and Breeding Centre nei pressi di Guwahati (Assam), dove, nel 2000, vivevano 77 esemplari, nati a partire da sei individui originari[3]. Nel 2008, 16 di questi cinghiali vennero rilasciati nella riserva naturale di Sonai Rupai, dove vengono tuttora attentamente monitorati[8]. La popolazione in cattività costituisce un'assicurazione potenzialmente cruciale per preservare questo piccolo suide dall'estinzione[3].
Il cinghiale nano (Porcula salvania Hodgson, 1847) è una specie di suide criticamente minacciata, diffusa in passato in Bhutan, India e Nepal ma oggi presente solamente in India (Assam). Attualmente ne rimangono circa 100-250 esemplari adulti. Fortunatamente, la messa in atto di recenti misure di protezione ha incrementato le possibilità di sopravvivenza in natura di questa rarissima specie.
Porcula salvania é uma espécie de mamífero da família Suidae. Pode ser encontrada na Índia e Butão.[3] É a única espécie descrita para o gênero Porcula.[2]
Historicamente a espécie foi registrada no norte de Bengala Ocidental e no noroeste de Assam, na Índia, mas acreditava-se que ela ocorria nas pastagens aluviais altas que se estendem ao sul do Himalaia do noroeste de Uttar Pradesh e sul do Nepal até Assam e Butão.[3] A espécie está confinada na área do Parque Nacional de Manas, em Assam.[4]
A espécie foi descrita por Brian Houghton Hodgson em 1847 como Porcula salvania. Estudos posteriores recombinaram a espécie no gênero Sus.[5] Análises moleculares publicadas em 2007 confirmaram a classificação original da espécie em um gênero próprio.[2]
Porcula salvania é uma espécie de mamífero da família Suidae. Pode ser encontrada na Índia e Butão. É a única espécie descrita para o gênero Porcula.
