Greater Hog Badger: Kaziranga’s First Population Assessment
Why in the news
Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve published its maiden scientific study of the Greater Hog Badger and found the population in good shape across its floodplain landscape of about 1,100 sq km.
Key facts
- Species: Greater Hog Badger, Arctonyx collaris.
- IUCN status: Vulnerable; Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (top protection); not listed under CITES.
- Local name: “mati gahori” (earth pig) for its pig-like snout and digging habit.
- Medium-sized, the largest of the three extant hog badger species; nocturnal, omnivorous and fossorial.
Ecological role
- Digs and turns over soil and leaf litter while foraging, redistributing nutrients and aerating soil.
- Burrowing loosens compacted ground, helps seeds germinate and creates micro-habitats for invertebrates and small vertebrates.
About Kaziranga
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Assam; floodplains of Golaghat, Nagaon and Sonitpur districts, beside the Brahmaputra |
| Landscape | Edge of the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot |
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | 1985 |
| Tiger Reserve | Declared 2007 |
| Famous for | World’s largest population of the Greater Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros; refuge for elephants, wild water buffalo and swamp deer |
Wildlife protection framework
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I highest protection (tigers, rhinos, hog badgers); Schedule II high; Schedule III lesser; Schedule IV plants.
- Biological Diversity Act, 2002: conservation and benefit-sharing.
- Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980: forest land use.
- Project Tiger (1973), Project Elephant (1992) and Project Rhino for species conservation.
Exam angle
- Scientific name: Arctonyx collaris; local name: mati gahori.
- Status: Vulnerable (IUCN), Schedule I (India).
- Kaziranga: Assam, UNESCO 1985, Tiger Reserve 2007.