Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) in Assam has released the first-ever scientific assessment of the Greater Hog Badger (Arctonyx collaris), confirming that at least 55 individual animals inhabit the reserve across nearly 1,100 square kilometres of diverse habitat. The report, officially released on 12 June, marks the first structured population estimate for a species listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

How the Assessment Was Conducted

The study was carried out by Kaziranga's Tiger Cell in collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Trust, using camera-trap images collected during previous All India Tiger Estimation exercises — a method known as camera-trap bycatch analysis. KNPTR Director Sonali Ghosh, a senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, noted that while the findings represent a healthy and potentially viable population, they should be treated as a preliminary estimate. She said further studies using detection covariate data — currently unavailable — are needed to refine the results.

Separately, Assam Environment and Forest Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah cited a figure of more than 60 Greater Hog Badgers documented in the park, reflecting the range of estimates emerging from the bycatch data. The species is locally known as Mati Gahori in Assamese.

Why This Species Matters

The Greater Hog Badger is the largest of three extant hog badger species globally — the other two being the Northern Hog Badger and the Sumatran Hog Badger. Of these, only the Greater and Northern Hog Badgers are found in India. Their range spans parts of South Asia, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia, from Bangladesh and northeastern India eastward through Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR, and Vietnam, and southward into Cambodia and peninsular Thailand.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), no precise global population figure exists, but the overall trend is declining — driven by habitat degradation and intense poaching pressure. The species has experienced severe declines across much of its Southeast Asian range, with India and Thailand now believed to harbour some of the healthiest remaining populations.

Ecological Role of the Greater Hog Badger

Director Ghosh described the Greater Hog Badger as an ecologically significant mesocarnivore whose conservation value extends well beyond the survival of a single species. As a highly fossorial and omnivorous mammal, it contributes to soil aeration, nutrient redistribution, and the turnover of leaf litter during foraging. Its digging behaviour may also facilitate seed germination and creates microhabitats that support invertebrates and small vertebrates, thereby enhancing broader ecosystem health.

Kaziranga's Role as a Critical Refuge

Ghosh emphasised that Northeast India holds greater international significance for the conservation of this species than is commonly recognised. 'This elevates its conservation priority in South Asia, particularly in Assam and the broader Northeast Indian region,' she said. The Kaziranga findings, she added, help establish the park's role as a critical refuge for the long-term survival of the vulnerable species.

The assessment reinforces Kaziranga's standing not just as a haven for the one-horned rhinoceros and Bengal tiger, but as a biodiversity stronghold for lesser-studied species whose ecological contributions are only now being systematically documented.