Farming with Pigs Animal Empires 106

In the Bahamas, the Exumas are an island chain about the length of Long Island, New York. This is Big Major Cay, one of the 365 sandy isles that make up the chain. It's home to some surprising castaways. Stranded here, pigs in paradise. These are the same species of swine that can be found on farmer's fields across the globe, but these ones are feral. Domesticated pigs are descended from wild boars. These pigs may live in the Bahamas now, but their ancestors hail from Asia. More than 10,000 years ago, people there started capturing and breeding wild boars for food. Today, domesticated pigs are found on every continent except Antarctica. About 1 billion domestic pigs are alive at any given time, making them among the most numerous large animals in the world. But here, domestic pigs have gone wild and live feral lives. Whether it's a nursery rhyme about pigs going to market, a folktale featuring three little pigs hiding from the big bad wolf, or a classic novel where a well-meaning spider named Charlotte tries to save her barnyard buddy, stories about pigs have been igniting the imagination of children for centuries. Big Major Key is no exception. The origin of these pigs has become a local legend. Some speculate that they swam to shore following a 16th century shipwreck. The truth is, they were actually brought here as livestock from the Bahamian capital Nassau in the 1990s. At first, there were only five juvenile pigs, and they were fed and fenced in. But when they grew larger, they escaped. The pigs survived on the island for seven generations. Now, the population has grown to over 30. They may technically be domestic pigs, but these boars and sows haven't lost their innate ability to find food. This behavior is called rooting. Pigs see the world through a heightened sense of smell. Digging with their elongated snouts, they can sniff out edible roots as far as one meter underground. Most of their diet comes from roots, but they also eat wild cabbage and berries. They get their water from the island's three inland springs. By nature, pigs are social, gregarious creatures. They travel in groups called sounders. This one consists of three mature sows, one boar, and their offspring. A curious disposition and a broad diet means pigs can find food in just about any range, making them one of the world's most adaptable animals. But there's a downside to their success. With no predators, the number of pigs here will continue to grow until there's not enough food and water for everyone. Potentially devastating the island's native ecosystem in the process. The wild pigs' colonization of the Bahamas' big major key has been so successful that the locals now refer to this spot as Pig Beach. To avoid the hot sun, the island pigs spend the hottest hours of the day in the shade. They save their foraging for the early morning and late afternoon. Pigs don't have sweat glands to help them keep cool. They're susceptible to heat exhaustion, sunburns, and even skin cancer. Wallowing in sand, while not as effective as a mud bath, cools them and also helps the pigs by shielding them from harmful UV rays. And when things get really hot, these pigs have another trick up their snouts. Out on the ocean, a commotion sounds. The pigs storm the sea. Then, an even more curious behavior. They piggy paddle out to the waiting boats. They weigh between 45 and 90 kilograms each, and they're not exactly hydrodynamic. But what these pigs lack in speed, they make up for in determination. In the last 10 years, the legend of Pig Beach has spread far beyond the Bahamas. They've become the biggest single attraction in the Exuma Keys. The sight, sounds, and smells of boats and humans draw the pigs out of the bush and into the water. This isn't the first time stories of swimming pigs have amazed humans. During a World War I naval battle, an attacking British vessel rescued a pig swimming away from a sinking German ship. He was nicknamed Tirpitz and became the official mascot of the HMS Glasgow. In 1946, 200 pigs were brought to the Marshall Islands to test the effect of nuclear fallout from an atomic bomb detonation. After the explosion, they found pig number 311 swimming, safe and sound, in the Pacific Ocean. She lived out her remaining days at Smithsonian's National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C. Swimming is actually instinctual in pigs and can be traced back to their ancient ancestors. Wild boars are exceptional swimmers. In 2013, a wild boar swam 11 kilometers into the English Channel and was found on an island off the coast of France. So if pigs have always been able to swim, why is it such a rare sight? For the most part, domestic pigs just have no reason to swim. So what makes Big Major Keys pigs take to the sea? Food, naturally, from the same humans who come to see them swim. Widely considered amongst the smartest animals on the planet, pigs have similar brain power as elephants, dolphins, and chimpanzees. Pigs have excellent long-term memories and exhibit extraordinary problem-solving skills. Both qualities help them exploit what's become a dependable supplementary food source. Locals were the first to discover Big Major Keys swimming pigs. But in the age of social media, word spreads quickly. By the mid-2000s, photos of the pigs began popping up online. Before long, the pigs went viral. They've made international headlines, partied with pop stars, been photographed with swimsuit models, and even appeared on reality television shows. Hashtag pigs in paradise? Not so fast. The daily visits and supplemental feeding are beginning to blur the line between wild and domesticated once again. Although the pigs here are being fed, there's no one directly responsible for their well-being. If left unchecked, feral pig populations grow rapidly. One sow can birth over 20 piglets annually. The number of feral pigs in the United States has tripled in the last 25 years, from 2 million to 6 million pigs. An island like this one could quickly become overrun, devastating the local flora and fauna. In the past, population control for swine meant the slaughterhouse. Nobody seems keen to take these little piggies to market. But if left alone, the number of pigs living in this hog heaven could go hog wild.