All-New Book of Amazing Facts, Vol. 2

9 Contrary to their dirty reputation, pigs are actually quite clean animals in the wild—at least on the surface. For instance, swine always keep their latrine area far away from where they sleep and eat. And while hogs may roll around in the mud to prevent sunburn and bug bites, they love to bathe in water and are excellent swimmers. In fact, many years ago, ship crews would take pigs along because they believed the animals would swim toward the closest shore in the event of a shipwreck. Pigs are extremely intelligent animals with remarkable memories. As with dogs, they can be taught to fetch, heel, pull carts, and even sniff out landmines. Some have even been taught to play video games, using their snout to control the joystick, a movement that is too challenging for chimps. Pigs are also quite social, forming close bonds and communicating using twenty or more vocalizations that consist of oinks, grunts, and squeals—each with a distinct meaning. The largest domestic pig ever recorded was an immense hog in Jackson, Tennessee, named “Big Bill.” This titanic pig weighed 2,552 pounds, with a height of five feet and a length of nine feet. Even though it has been proven to be one of the least healthy foods, the world eats more pork than any other meat: 85billion tons annually, a third more than beef or chicken. But did you know that the Bible says pigs were never designed to be on the menu? “The swine is unclean for you, because it has cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud; you shall not eat their flesh or touch their dead carcasses” (Deuteronomy 14:8). Pigs Epic Swine Facts Animals & Biology