Hog Deer is another endangered species, for which Kaziranga is an important stronghold. Since the 1950's, conversions of Asia's rich floodplain grasslands for agriculture, has led to a dramatic decline of this formerly widespread and abundant species. It is now extinct in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and South China and populations have collapsed in Bangladesh and Cambodia. In Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bhutan, Hog Deer seems to decline at a slower rate. Most individuals are found nowadays in protected areas, such as Kaziranga National Park. It's habitat consists of lowland wet or moist tall grasslands, often associated with rivers. The species avoids closed canopy forest.