The majority of pigs are used for human food but also their skin, fat and other materials are used as clothing, ingredients for processed foods, cosmetics, and medical use but aside all this, pigs have some fun qualities that make them really cute and loving.
1. They are fast in learning
“Shut up mum, we’re already asleep”
Newborn piglets learn to run to their mothers voices and can recognize their own names by the time they are 2weeks old. Their mothers (Sow) have been known to ‘sing’ when nursing to their babies. This aids communication.
2. They have zero sweat glands
Who are you calling “Sweaty”
Have you heard this saying, Do you sweat like a pig? Chances are you don’t. Contrary to popular belief, pigs are unable to sweat because they have zero sweaty glands and one of the best ways for them to cool down is to wallow in all of that glorious mud.
3. They are fast swimmers
“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming”
It’s true we’ve all seen pigs wallowing in the mud, but how about swimming in a crystal clear sea? On the uninhabited Bahaman Island of Big Major Cay, that’s exactly what they do.
A population of wild aquatic swine rules the island, and many have taken to swimming out to the boats offshore, in the hope of being rewarded with a tasty snack. Awwwwww!
4. They are highly sociable
“Come here, let’s hug”
Pigs are highly intelligent and incredibly social animals. When kept in a group, they snuggle next to each other and prefer to sleep nose to nose instead. Research has also shown that they are as well, similar to humans.
5. They talk a lot
“And then she said…”
When they’re not squealing, they’re talking. Pigs communicate constantly with each other and more than 20 different vocalizations have been identified, from wooing a mate to saying ‘I’m hungry!”
6. Their organs can save humans lives
“I can die for you”
A specific kind of pigs named “Yucatan” has the ability to save human lives because they have similar internal organs as humans. Data has shown that more than 117,000 individuals across the United States need an organ transplant, and due to this species and organ donor services, the loss of large numbers of lives has been minimized.
7. Some of them glow at night
Me? I’m not just a pig. I’m a nightlight!
Dreaming isn’t the only way in which pigs are similar to humans, their genetic makeup is also very close to our own. Scientists are therefore using stem cells from pigs to test treatments for human diseases. Chinese geneticists have crossed a pig with a jellyfish, producing piglets whose trotters glow fluorescent green in UV light.