The Chief Minister's Office of Assam on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, drew attention to three conservation initiatives under way at Manas Tiger Reserve, including a pygmy hog release programme and a grassland restoration effort, signalling continued state-level focus on one of India's most storied wildlife sanctuaries.

Context

Manas Tiger Reserve, located in western Assam along the foothills of the Bhutan Himalayas, is among India's most ecologically significant protected areas. Declared a tiger reserve under Project Tiger in 1973 and awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 1985, Manas shelters Bengal tigers, one-horned rhinoceroses, and the critically endangered pygmy hog. The reserve has had a remarkable recovery story after years of insurgency and poaching that once placed it on UNESCO's danger list.

The three initiatives highlighted by the CMO include a pygmy hog release and a grassland restoration effort, alongside a third conservation measure. The announcement underscores the Assam government's alignment with national and international biodiversity commitments centred on this UNESCO site.

Policy Backdrop

The Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme is a long-running captive-breeding and reintroduction effort for the world's smallest and rarest wild pig, a species once thought extinct. Reintroductions into Manas have been ongoing since the late 2000s, making each fresh release a milestone in one of South Asia's most closely watched species-recovery efforts.

Project Tiger, India's flagship tiger conservation scheme administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), provides the overarching policy and funding framework within which Manas operates. Grassland restoration is a critical component of this framework, as healthy grasslands support prey species that sustain tiger populations and benefit a range of other wildlife.

Stakeholders and Impact

Local communities living on the fringes of Manas are both stakeholders and potential beneficiaries of these initiatives. Restored grasslands can reduce human-wildlife conflict by keeping animals within the reserve boundary, while eco-tourism growth tied to a healthier reserve ecosystem can generate livelihoods.

Conservation NGOs and international bodies such as UNESCO and the IUCN monitor Manas closely as a benchmark for recovery in conflict-affected reserves. Successful pygmy hog reintroductions also carry significance beyond Assam, informing similar programmes for critically endangered species across South Asia.

What's Next

Wildlife managers and researchers will track survival and breeding rates of the newly released pygmy hogs to assess the viability of the population. Population monitoring data, if positive, could support the replication of grassland restoration techniques in other Assam reserves such as Kaziranga and Orang.

The Assam government's continued public communication around Manas conservation efforts suggests these initiatives will remain a visible part of the state's environmental governance narrative, with further updates expected as the programmes progress through 2026.