In 1972, sisters Ellen Stanley and Mary Lynne Rave decided that the pig deserved its own day in the mud : National Pig Day.
National Pig Day is held annually on the first of March, “to accord to the pig its rightful, though generally unrecognized, place as one of man’s most intellectual and domesticated animals.”
Moritz the Pig, was filmed by his owner Nicolle von Eberkopf at their home in Berlin using only his mouth to complete this pigsaw puzzle in just 52 seconds.
Time to seperate the recycling
Pigs can often outsmart dogs and are on about the same intellectual level as our closest living relatives, chimpanzees, according to a 2015 scientific paper.
Neuroscientist Lori Marino of Emory University and The Nonhuman Rights Project said
“We have shown that pigs share a number of cognitive capacities with other highly intelligent species such as dogs, chimpanzees, elephants, dolphins, and even humans”
They found that pigs:
• have excellent long-term memories
• are whizzes with mazes and other tests requiring the location of objects
• can comprehend a simple symbolic language and can learn complex combinations of symbols for actions and objects
• love to play and engage in mock fighting with each other, similar to play in dogs and other mammals
• live in complex social communities where they keep track of individuals and learn from one another
• cooperate with one another
• can manipulate a joystick to move an on-screen cursor, a capacity they share with chimpanzees
• can use a mirror to find hidden food
• exhibit a form of empathy when witnessing the same emotion in another individual
Or if you just want a cuddle meet Lilu, the first-ever airport therapy pig. She roams San Franciso Airport and comforts stressed-out travelers.
To celebrate National Pig Day, maybe sow some friendship and visit LiLou’s Instagram account. As her profile says :
Pig = human toddler. Teacup pig = unicorn.
LiLou, a good pig
