In brief: Dr Parag Jyoti Deka, director of the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme and a Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust employee for nearly 30 years, has received the Friends of the Environment Award from the Government of Assam in India. The honour recognises his decades of work pulling the world’s smallest pig back from the brink of extinction, a project that has now released 194 captive-bred animals into the wild.
A Jersey-based conservation story with global reach
It is not every day that a conservationist based out of Jersey, Channel Islands earns a government honour from one of India’s most biodiverse states, but that is precisely what has happened for Dr Parag Jyoti Deka. The Jersey Evening Post reports that Dr Deka, director of the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme run by Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, has been presented with the Friends of the Environment Award by the Government of Assam, in recognition of his contribution to species recovery and the protection of Assam’s threatened grasslands.
Dr Deka joined the Durrell programme as a veterinary intern back in 1997, meaning he has dedicated the better part of three decades to one of conservation’s more unlikely heroes: the pygmy hog, the world’s smallest pig and the only living species in its genus. Once thought to be extinct, the animal was rediscovered in Assam in 1971, and its survival has hung in the balance ever since, dependent on tall grasslands that have been steadily lost to burning, overgrazing and changes in land use.
From near-extinction to wild breeding populations
The Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme was established in 1995, a joint effort between Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, the Government of Assam, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and local partners. Since then, the programme has released 194 captive-bred pygmy hogs into the wild. More than 150 wild-born animals have been recorded at Orang National Park alone, where reintroduced hogs are not only surviving but breeding and spreading into new areas. The project manages two specialist breeding centres in Assam and works with park authorities and local communities to restore habitat in Manas and Orang national parks.
The habitat restoration figures are striking. Across restored plots, grassland cover has increased from 34% to 85% following the removal of invasive plants and work to control the spread of trees. The benefits have not been limited to the pygmy hog either: rhinos, hog deer, Asian black bears and the critically endangered Bengal florican have all been recorded returning to these areas.
Dr Deka was characteristically modest in accepting the award. “Receiving this award is an honour, and recognition of the conservation journey that has built around Durrell’s mission, to save species from extinction,” he said. “Saving the pygmy hog has meant more than increasing their number. It’s about understanding what this little hog needs to survive, and to rebuild the ecological conditions so it can thrive.” He was also quick to share the credit: “The award is therefore not a personal honour, it is a recognition of everyone involved, the Durrell team, our partners in implementation, conservationists, researchers, local communities and the government of Assam whose commitment make all this work possible.”
What it means for Jersey
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, founded by the late Gerald Durrell and headquartered at Jersey Zoo in Trinity, has long been one of the island’s most internationally recognised institutions. Stories like Dr Deka’s are a reminder of the quiet, patient, unglamorous work that underpins Durrell’s global reputation. While Jersey punches above its weight in financial services and tourism, it also punches above its weight in conservation science, and that is worth celebrating.
For Islanders who support Durrell, whether as members, donors or simply visitors to the zoo, this award is a tangible sign that the trust’s mission translates into real-world results far beyond the shores of Jersey.
Source: Jersey Evening Post
