Here's my new favorite little oinker. Hey, Spunky, how did you get in that sink, you little rascal? Now that you're in there, do you know how to get out? No? Then this is as good a time as any to get you nice and clean!
Posts tagged "pigs"
I've established a long history of piglet appreciation. There's just always been something about their little snouts, their piglet energy, their squeaky honking and snorting that I can't get enough of. Well, nothing's changed. Time has not eroded my love of piglets.
Here's my new favorite little oinker. Hey, Spunky, how did you get in that sink, you little rascal? Now that you're in there, do you know how to get out? No? Then this is as good a time as any to get you nice and clean!
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Here's my new favorite little oinker. Hey, Spunky, how did you get in that sink, you little rascal? Now that you're in there, do you know how to get out? No? Then this is as good a time as any to get you nice and clean!
The description of the Kunekune pig that goes along with this YouTube video, explains that this New Zealand breed is "short-legged, short-snouted, and with a high fat depth giving very rounded body contours." Who knew that this combination of physical attributes would create, maybe, the most adorable baby piglets ever?
Whether these little cuties are chewing grass and suckling from their mama, they couldn't look any happier. Except, perhaps, if they were getting a big old hug from us. But maybe we're projecting.
Watch the video and let us know what you think in the comments below.
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Whether these little cuties are chewing grass and suckling from their mama, they couldn't look any happier. Except, perhaps, if they were getting a big old hug from us. But maybe we're projecting.
Watch the video and let us know what you think in the comments below.
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Pig Pig is, you guessed it, a pig (well, a piglet) in LaCenter, Wash. who defied death thanks to her farmer owner's quick thinking. The newborn's life had gotten off to a rough start when Pig Pig's mother, deathly ill from complications from labor, accidentally rolled over onto the piglet, crushing her "flat as a pancake." Fortunately owner Jeff Olsen was nearby and stepped in with heroic mouth-to-snout CPR, breathing new life into the pretty pink porker.
And that was just the beginning of Pig Pig's adventures. When her mother died shortly afterwards, Jeff's wife Heidi placed the newborn piglet with a new litter of Red Heeler puppies, hoping that the doggie mother would take to the piglet. "The mama dog looked at me like, "are you crazy?" But nature took over, her mothering instinct took over and she brought her in as one of her own," says Heidi.
Now the only problem with healthy and happy Pig Pig is that she thinks she's a dog -- and refuses to have anything to do with the other pigs on the farm.
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And that was just the beginning of Pig Pig's adventures. When her mother died shortly afterwards, Jeff's wife Heidi placed the newborn piglet with a new litter of Red Heeler puppies, hoping that the doggie mother would take to the piglet. "The mama dog looked at me like, "are you crazy?" But nature took over, her mothering instinct took over and she brought her in as one of her own," says Heidi.
Now the only problem with healthy and happy Pig Pig is that she thinks she's a dog -- and refuses to have anything to do with the other pigs on the farm.
Jean Liebenberg / Farm Sanctuary
Susie Coston, Farm Sanctuary's national shelter director, recently wrote a heart-warming blog post titled A Reason to Get Up in the Morning that made us fall in love with the place all over again.
Coston shared the story of Angie, an elderly pig living at Farm Sanctuary's New York property who found herself alone after her pig companions died. Coston told Paw Nation that Angie had always been a happy pig who loved playing with her friends. Once she was on her own, however, Angie became depressed. She even lost interest in going out to the pasture.
"We were thinking Angie was done," Coston told Paw Nation, "She was old. She wasn't eating and she was just laying there. We were thinking we might have to put her down." Coston went on to say that pigs are very intelligent and exhibit sophisticated emotions. Like humans, they are even prone to getting ulcers when they are stressed and upset.
Farm Sanctuary staff tried introducing new friends to Angie, but she rejected each with "a bite on the rump or a run around the stall." Eventually, though, a new porcine pal would win Angie's heart. The tiny piglet, named Fiona, arrived at the sanctuary and became curious about Angie. And so, Coston told Paw Nation, with much trepidation the staff placed the piglet in the pen with the grouchy old lady.
It's a bird, it's a plane, it's... a pig? Gwen and Steve Howell, proud owners of seven pigs in Shropshire, England, are proving that pigs can fly -- on a trampoline, that is.
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What do you do when you love animals but you also love to eat meat? Does a true animal-lover have to be a vegetarian to have a clean conscience? Would you ever consider DIY butchering?
Forget backyard chickens. The latest trend in urban eating is butchering classes. The New York Times reports that butchers are now teaching classes in places like New York City, San Francisco, and London. There are also more intensive apprentice programs with master butchers. According to the Times, "The same food connoisseurs who once revered only celebrity chefs or restaurant impresarios are now turning their attentions to a humbler, more rustic food world." David Kamp, the author of "The United States of Arugula," a history of the recent American revolution in gourmet eating, calls the interest in butchery "a weird echo of the early-70s back-to-the-land movement."
Some diners think of it as just the next logical step from belonging to a CSA or eating locally grown produce. The idea seems to be that if you know where your meat is coming from, you can try to honor the animal by respecting that it died for you. While the classes themselves are not for the squeamish, some animal-rights activists say this new interest in nose-to-tail eating might spare the animals certain slaughterhouse horrors.
At any rate, it's sure a change of pace from yet another yoga class.
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Forget backyard chickens. The latest trend in urban eating is butchering classes. The New York Times reports that butchers are now teaching classes in places like New York City, San Francisco, and London. There are also more intensive apprentice programs with master butchers. According to the Times, "The same food connoisseurs who once revered only celebrity chefs or restaurant impresarios are now turning their attentions to a humbler, more rustic food world." David Kamp, the author of "The United States of Arugula," a history of the recent American revolution in gourmet eating, calls the interest in butchery "a weird echo of the early-70s back-to-the-land movement."
Some diners think of it as just the next logical step from belonging to a CSA or eating locally grown produce. The idea seems to be that if you know where your meat is coming from, you can try to honor the animal by respecting that it died for you. While the classes themselves are not for the squeamish, some animal-rights activists say this new interest in nose-to-tail eating might spare the animals certain slaughterhouse horrors.
At any rate, it's sure a change of pace from yet another yoga class.
Geoff Robinson Photography
Looks can be deceiving. Micro pigs maybe not be as manageable as they appear on the surface. Besides carrying a possibly unattainable $1,160 price tag, these cuties are more high-maintenance than you might think. The UK's Daily Telegraph has rooted up another side to ownership of the pint-size porcine that is considerably less cute than the pigs themselves, saying the micro pigs could be a maxi-disaster. The Telegraph spoke with Kirsty Bayley, who is the Pig Herd Manager at the Institute of Animal Health, and who shared a few details that might make you think twice before bringing home a tiny piglet.
For one thing, because the precious pigs are bred so exclusively for their size, the risks of inbreeding and its associated health risks go up. Among these myriad health risks is decreased fertility, which is a major problem if you're hoping for a portly profit.
Pigs are very social and surprisingly active creatures, so they're happiest with at least one companion pig, lots of room, and lots of toys. If they're not properly entertained, they can quickly begin exhibiting signs of depression, such as lethargy or repetitive movements, according to what Bayley told the Telegraph.
Bayley also warns potential pig purchasers to be wary of buying from a breeder without a reference, as there have been numerous documented stories of people purchasing what they believed to be micro pigs, only to have what were actually piglets grow into full-sized pigs once they hit their growth spurts.
Though the urge to get your hands on one of these delightful, darling pets may be irresistible, don't let it become an impulse buy. A toy-sized animal isn't a toy. Do your research, and make sure you and your family are thoroughly prepared to handle a micro pig or any other pet before you reach for your wallet.
Story update: For more information on this trend check out the video from ABC News below:
Dogs might be man's best friend, but they're also our most reliable coworkers -- for thousands of years, we've put them to task guarding homes, hauling sleds, trailing game, herding sheep, and even finding lost pets. Now we're taking some of the pressure off helpful pups by letting other members of the Animal Kingdom help out.
From bees and birds to rats and pigs, we're putting all kinds of critters to work. We just hope they get decent vacation time.
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From bees and birds to rats and pigs, we're putting all kinds of critters to work. We just hope they get decent vacation time.
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Animals Working 9-to-5
Hero Rats
Hero rats have a nose for danger! That's right; rats have been trained to sniff out explosives like landmines. Rats are easy to breed and easy to train, according to herorat.org. And rats weigh so little, they can stand on a landmine without setting it off. Given all that, don't rats deserve a little more respect?
Hero rats have a nose for danger! That's right; rats have been trained to sniff out explosives like landmines. Rats are easy to breed and easy to train, according to herorat.org. And rats weigh so little, they can stand on a landmine without setting it off. Given all that, don't rats deserve a little more respect?
APOPO
Worker Animals
Hero Rats
Hero rats have a nose for danger! That's right; rats have been trained to sniff out explosives like landmines. Rats are easy to breed and easy to train, according to herorat.org. And rats weigh so little, they can stand on a landmine without setting it off. Given all that, don't rats deserve a little more respect?
APOPO
Sniffer Bees
Honeybees communicate with one another through chemicals. Why not put their chemical sensors to good use? Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico are training honeybees to sniff out chemicals such as bombs and illegal drugs. The researchers say the trained bees (which are housed in portable bee-detection boxes) are cheaper and easier to train than detection dogs, and the bees' sense of smell is better even than that of the sharpest bloodhound.
Leroy N. Sanchez, Los Alamos National Lab
Navy Dolphins
Undersea explosives are a potential risk for the U.S. Navy. Fortunately, the seamen have finned friends to help them stay safe. Through the Navy Marine Mammal Program, dolphins are trained to use echolocation to locate and mark sea mines, allowing naval ships to steer clear of danger. The program has also worked with marine mammals like the California sea lion, which can mark and retrieve undersea objects.
Brien Aho, U.S. Navy / Getty Images
Cormorants
In Japan, China, and other parts of Asia, cormorants have been helping people fish for more than 1,300 years. The fish-eating birds employed by humans must wear a "uniform" to work -- a narrow band around their necks. The banded birds can swallow small fish, but big fish can't squeeze past the band. Human fishermen retrieve the large fish from their feathered assistants.
China Photos / Getty Images
Truffle-Hunting Pigs
For foodies, truffle mushrooms are one of life's greatest treasures. But the fungi, which can fetch as much as $2,000 per pound, only grow in the wild, hidden in forests. To root out the delicious 'shrooms, truffle hunters in North American and Europe employ domestic pigs. The hogs not only have sensitive noses, they also have a taste for the prized mushrooms.
Fred Mayer, Hulton Archive / Getty Images
Miniature Guide Horses for the Blind
Most people have heard of guide dogs for the blind. But some sight-impaired people prefer a different kind of guide animal: miniature horses. The friendly, adorable tiny horses have been used as guide animals since 1999, and they're growing in popularity. They're great for people who are allergic to (or afraid of) dogs, or who want to bond with a guide animal with a longer lifespan, reports the Guide Horse Foundation.
Carlos Osorio, AP
Dogs
We've been breeding dogs for thousands of years, shaping them for all kinds of jobs. Border collies have a knack for herding sheep (and sometimes, human family members). Sled dogs haul sleighs over the ice and snow. Hounds and pointers help hunters track down their catch. Today, worker dogs are trying out more modern careers. A sniffer dog might work for a scientist helping to track endangered species. Sweet, friendly pups might find jobs as therapy dogs, visiting hospitals and nursing homes to comfort patients.
Tony Gutierrez, AP
Talk about hogwash! Photo: Fame Pictures
Bunches of feral pigs have become a common sight on the island of Big Major Spot in the Bahamas. Friendly and cute, the gregarious pigs have locals and tourists going hog wild when they decide to go for a swim. We guess there's no need to roll around in mud and filth in order to cool off when you live on the shores of a crystal clear sea. The sight of swimming swine is so entertaining that the piggies are becoming a tourist attraction in and of themselves.
The people keep the pigs coming back for more too. "Because locals bring food, the pigs will run into the water and actually swim out to the oncoming boats," underwater photographer Eric Cheng told the UK's Daily Mail. "It is strange enough to see pigs laying around on tropical beaches of white sand, but to see them charge into the water to greet oncoming boats is just bizarre."
Cheng and his team -- who had come to the island to photograph sharks and stumbled upon the porcine phenomenon quite unexpectedly -- took to the sea for a special photography session with the snorkeling porklings. The pigs had no problem cozying up to the camera; they're real hams!
Photo: X17online
Reacting to Octomom's statements that she wanted to get a pet pig or dog to add to her already voluminous family, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has written a letter to the mother of 14 children discouraging her from doing so.
"In today's uncertain economy - and with all the demands that come with raising 14 children - we urge you to reconsider adding two more dependents to your family. Like children, pigs and dogs are intelligent, social beings with complex needs. They require a lot of attention, space, and exercise as well as a huge financial commitment."PETA also objects to Octomom's statements that she would keep the pig outside because of its smell and make it wear a diaper. That is "not an acceptable way to treat an intelligent animal," PETA writes.
--- Excerpt from PETA's letter to Octomom
In other words, this little piggy...has no desire to become the 15th mouth to feed.
Pauli - one of four little piglets on its way to stardom on reality TV show "Pig Brother." Photo courtesy pigrbother.at
A new Austrian reality show called Pig Brother will track four piglets living on a family farm in Helfenberg. Lilly, Piggy, Pauli and Freddi will ham it up for the cameras to help promote Austria's third annual "Speck Spectacle" (German for "Bacon Spectacle") in early June. But don't let the translation worry you: No pigs will be harmed in the making of this series.
Our friends over at People Pets report that the show will stay true to reality TV form. The swine will compete in weekly "pig Olympics" and vie to become Super Pig (the show's version of Head of Household). And it wouldn't be the pork version of Big Brother if they weren't filmed 24/7 as they eat from troughs and roll in the mud.
"Pig Brother" premieres April 27th on Austrian TV, but Americans can get updates via their web site -- just be sure to grab a German-English dictionary.
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