Kaziranga Releases First Greater Hog Badger Assessment

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The Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve has published its very first scientific study report focusing on the greater hog badger.

The greater hog badger is a nocturnal animal of medium size that digs the ground and eats both plants and animals.
Local people in Assam call this animal mati gahori because its snout looks like a pig and it loves to dig the earth.
This species stands out as the largest among the three hog badger species currently living on Earth.

Within India, this badger lives across the varied ecosystems of the northeast, especially inside the 1,100 sq. km floodplain network of Kaziranga.
On the global map, its home ranges from Bangladesh and northeastern India towards eastern countries like Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
As a specialized fossorial mammal, it thrives mainly on forest floors and grasslands where soft soil allows it to dig easily.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature places this animal under the Vulnerable category on its global Red List.
Within India, the law grants it top-level safety by placing it under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.

Specialized body parts help this animal dig deep into the ground, which helps redistribute soil nutrients and keeps the earth airy.
Its constant digging breaks hard soil surfaces, helping seeds sprout and creating small living spaces for tiny animals.
Because it comes out mostly at night, it stays hidden under thick bushes to escape predators and avoid human contact.

The Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve is a famous wildlife area recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a successful tiger reserve.
It protects the biggest group of great Indian one-horned rhinoceroses in the world along with safe breeding homes for elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer.

The park sits in the northeastern state of Assam, India, covering river floodplains across the Golaghat, Nagaon, and Sonitpur districts near the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity region.

The large alluvial floodplains of the Brahmaputra River shape the geography of the park along its northern border.
Numerous water bodies called beels spread across the land, acting as natural water tanks and feeding spots for animals.
The park features four distinct plant zones that include tall elephant grasses, marshy savannas, moist semi-evergreen forests, and deciduous woods.
Toward the southern side, flat river lands meet the rising hills of the Karbi Anglong range.