Conservation of Endemic <i>Sus scrofa andamanensis</i> and Enhancing Nutritional Security to Jarawa Tribes

Abstract

Andaman Wild Pig (Sus scrofa andamanensis) is an endemic sub-species found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The species is accorded the highest level of protection under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, of India and is included under Schedule I, Part I, of the Act. It is an important food resource for aboriginal tribes, and the Wildlife (Protection) Act has exempted its hunting by the tribes in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Over the years, the population of this endemic species has dwindled due to various factors, and the present population is estimated at about 8,000 individuals on the Andaman Islands. The Andaman and Nicobar Forest Department attempted a captive breeding and re-stocking programme for conserving it and ensuring the nutritional and cultural needs of the aboriginal tribes, besides restoration of the ecological balance of the dwindling population of AWP(Andaman Wild Pig) in the Jarawa Tribal Reserve area in South Andaman Island. In this context, the Chidiyatapu Biological Park in Andaman, which has a similar habitat, was chosen for captive breeding of AWP. The efforts yielded a positive result in 2016, when two piglets were born at the park. Since then, breeding protocol has been firmed up, the number of AWP in captivity has risen at a steady rate and the number of piglets in captivity has increased to 24 in the year 2022. Out of the captive breeding stock, 3 males and 5 females were released in the reserve forest areas inside the Jarawa Tribal Reserve as part of Wildlife week celebrations in 2022. The paper discusses the protocol developed for captive breeding, the Jarawa tribe’s cultural significance in terms of this endemic species and the benefits of mainstreaming biodiversity conservation for the betterment of aboriginal tribes.