Pigs

Pigs are misunderstood in many ways: they are thought of as messy, portly, and simple-minded. These stereotypes could not be farther from the truth- Pigs are tidy, playful, loving and intelligent, and deserving of compassion and respect.

Did you know:

· Pigs are caring and gentle mothers. Sows are held in small farrowing crates on factory farms once they have birthed a litter to prevent them from crushing their offspring. But the mothers are far from careless, for when they are allowed more space, they will sweep the nest with their snout, pushing piglets out of the way and ensuring that there are no piglets beneath them before lying down to nurse.

· Pigs are very clean animals. In fact, pigs are some of the cleanest animals around. They like to maintain separate eating sleeping and defecation areas. When given the room and freedom to decide, pigs choose to be clean and tidy.

· Pigs enjoy private time with their newborn babies. Before giving birth, a pregnant sow will remove herself from the herd and build a nest out of leaves, branches, grass, or straw to give birth on. She will care for the piglets for several days, before leading her new babies to meet the rest of the herd.

· Pigs are extremely intelligent. They are thought to be the smartest of all domestic animals. Pigs have an I.Q higher than dogs and are considered by animal experts to be more trainable than dogs or cats.

· Pigs cannot sweat. They do not have sweat glands. During hot weather they will roll around in the mud or water. Then when the wind blows over them, the water from the mud evaporates, and cools them. The dried mud acts as a layer of sunscreen. Their mucky appearance has given them the undeserved reputation of being grubby animals. Sweating like a pig, really means not sweating at all.

· Pigs have an excellent sense of smell. That is why they have been used to search out truffles (rare fungus that grows underground) and drugs, and they have even been used to detect land mines.

· Pigs love to play and exercise. They love running, digging, splashing in puddles, and playing with other pigs.

· There are many places named after pigs:
- Boarhills in Scotland.
- Hog Island in Florida.
- Hog Island in Grenada.
- Hog Island in Guyana
- Hog Island in Michigan
- Hog Island in Virginia
- Hog Point in Virginia
- Hog Head in Ireland
- Pig Point in Virginia
- Bay of Pigs in Cuba
- Sow River in England …to name a few