Buzz
Few creatures face as much undeserved criticism as pigs. They are often seen as filthy, greedy animals, blissfully wallowing in their muck. Yet, there's far more to these humble creatures than meets the eye.
10. Swimming Pigs at Pig Beach
The Bahamas, famous for its pristine beaches, swaying palm trees, and sun-kissed vacationers, is hardly the first place you'd expect to find pigs swimming in the crystal-clear waters.
On Big Major Cay, an uninhabited island, a unique group of swimming pigs has captured the spotlight. While theories abound about how these wild pigs arrived on the island, one thing is certain: they thrive there. The pigs have learned to associate humans with food and are said to be quite sociable. When they spot an approaching boat, they eagerly leap into the water, paddling over in hopes of a snack.
9. Video Games
Although farm animals are rarely known for their intelligence, pigs are surprisingly smart—likely even more so than dogs. In Europe, where farmers are required to keep their pigs mentally engaged, there has been research into developing a video game for them.
Created by researchers at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, the game 'Pig Chase' involves a series of moving lights that the pigs can follow with a human, working together towards a shared objective. It's somewhat like using a laser pointer to get a cat to chase it.
8. Bacon
In a world often marred by social injustice, hunger, and disease, few things offer a glimmer of hope, but bacon might be one of those rare shining lights. Far beyond being just a breakfast treat, you can find bacon 24/7—whether it's in dental floss, lip balm, candles, gum, or even cake frosting.
Bacon isn’t just one of the most irresistible snacks: it also has some surprising health benefits. After a long night of drinking, many of us wake up feeling completely drained. But researchers suggest that a delicious bacon sandwich could be the solution to curing our hangovers. The combination of bread and bacon provides both carbohydrates and protein, and the amino acids in the bacon help relieve headaches by restoring neurotransmitters depleted by alcohol.
7. Tattoos
Tattoos have become widely accepted, but their permanent nature makes them a tricky art form to master. Few individuals are willing to entrust their skin to an aspiring artist still refining their craft. Many tattooists end up with rough tattoos on their upper thighs, the only area available for practice.
Pig skin is actually an ideal medium for tattoo practice—readily available from your local butcher and surprisingly affordable. It closely resembles human skin in texture. In fact, there’s at least one artist, Wim Delvoye, who takes this to the extreme by tattooing live pigs. Naturally, this raises serious animal rights concerns, which may explain why Delvoye works in China.
6. War Pigs
No, not like the Ozzy song. Those of you who remember your history lessons might recall that Hannibal crossed the Alps with his war elephants, which he also used in battle. There were various tactics for countering these massive creatures, such as covering the battlefield with caltrops to puncture their feet. However, some commanders discovered that the one thing that truly terrified an elephant was the piercing shriek of a pig.
A pig's scream of mortal agony is an awful sound, one that soldiers would elicit by coating the pigs in pitch and setting them on fire. The elephants, frightened by the noise, would often panic and stampede, sometimes even trampling their own troops in the chaos.
5. Surrogate Mothers
Pigs are genetically quite similar to humans, which is why we’ve been able to transplant pig heart valves into human patients. Extensive research is also underway to create 'transgenic pigs' that could provide entire organs for transplantation.
One of the most unsettling concepts considered in this field (around 1932) was the possibility of pigs acting as surrogate mothers for human fetuses. While this idea remains far from realization, it could potentially offer a solution for families struggling to have children. Additionally, there have been suggestions that pigs could be used to save babies who might otherwise be aborted. However, even if the technology were to be perfected, the moral and ethical implications would be immense.
4. The Catahoula Bulldog
Feral pigs are a significant problem in Australia and the southern United States (they can actually be found in 47 states across the US). As an invasive species, they cause over $1.5 billion in damage annually.
Hunting feral pigs is no easy task; when cornered, these animals become fierce fighters. One of the most skilled pig-hunting dogs is the Catahoula Leopard Dog. However, even this highly capable dog struggles when facing a cornered pig.
To improve their hunting success, hunters have crossbred the Catahoula Leopard Dog with American bulldogs. The resulting Catahoula bulldog combines the strengths of both breeds—able to track pigs and keep them engaged until the hunter arrives to finish the job.
3. A Grisly End
Pigs are among the world’s most resilient survivors—not only because of their intelligence but also due to their adaptable diet. Pigs will consume nearly anything, and they aren’t averse to cannibalizing one another or even feasting on human flesh.
In 2012, a pig farm near Riverton, Oregon, became the scene of a macabre event when 70-year-old Terry Garner was devoured by his own hogs. The exact details of the incident remain unknown—whether the pigs attacked him or if he collapsed from a heart attack and fell into their pen. Forensic investigation was ruled out, as by the time a relative arrived to check on him, there was little left—just his dentures and some bloody remnants around the pen. The rest had been consumed, bones included.
2. Bhutan Marijuana The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan boasts an impressive range of biodiversity, from snow-covered peaks to tropical lowlands. Among the many wild plants that thrive in this region is cannabis, whose psychoactive effects went unnoticed for a long time. Instead, it was used to feed pigs. The marijuana not only nourished the pigs but also enhanced their ravenous appetite, leading to rapid growth. In 1999, Bhutan became the last country on earth to receive television—and with it, the realization that the pig feed could be smoked. Soon, marijuana made its way out of the pigs' mouths and into hash pipes.
1. Khanzir
Certain religions, such as Islam and Judaism, prohibit the consumption of pork. Afghanistan, in particular, has a strong aversion to pigs, and it is said that there is only one pig in the entire country.
In 2002, China sent a pair of pigs to the Kabul Zoo. One of them died, leaving behind a lonely Khanzir (the Arabic word for 'pig'). As you can imagine, life hasn't been easy for poor Khanzir. Not only does he live in isolation, but he has also been placed in quarantine due to unfounded fears of swine flu.
