Receiving the Friends of the Environment Award in Assam, India is an honour, and recognition of the conservation journey that has built around Durrell’s mission, to save species from extinction. 

For 29 years I have been the Director of the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme, of which Durrell is a partner, as well as being a veterinarian. I’ve dedicated my career to the conservation and recovery of the pygmy hog and Assam’s grassland species.  

Over the years, my work has allowed me to spend time in the remarkable grasslands of the Sub Himalayas, to work closely with species that were once thought to be extinct, and also to recover valuable grassland landscapes that support grassland biodiversity and are threatened with loss. 

One of those species is the pygmy hog, the world’s smallest pig, and one of the most threatened mammals on Earth. 

Found only in the tall grasslands of Assam in India, the pygmy hog was rediscovered in 1971 when a group was found sheltering from a grassland fire in a neighbouring tea plantation. The extraordinary discovery gave conservationists a second chance to save the species.  

For Durrell, 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.  

Our work has utilised captive breeding, veterinary care, scientific research and restoration of the tall grasslands on which they depend.  

The grasslands are home to many other species who are also under pressure from environmental loss, such as the Critically Endangered Bengal florican, the hispid hare, and the hog deer. Restoring the grasslands is therefore a priority not only for the pygmy hog but to also help protect the entire ecosystem.  

There have been many moments that have made the years of work particularly rewarding, such as seeing the first captive-bred hogs returned to the grasslands, and the first evidence that they were successfully breeding in the wild.  

The Friends of the Environment 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.  

The story of the pygmy hog is a reminder that with patience, collaboration and a dedication to restore nature, even the smallest of species can be given another chance.