Pig Facts 10

• 21. Pigs can run at speed of up to 11.5 mph (almost 20 km/h) and have a good sense of direction and can find their way home over great distances.
• 22. Pigs do not “eat like pigs” or “pig out.” They prefer to eat slowly and savour their food. They eat mainly tree leaves, grass, ferns, roots, fruits, flowers, dead insects, worms and tree bark.
• 23. Pigs have a remarkable sense of smell and are used to locate truffles. Pigs are very smart and are cognitively complex as dogs especially when hunting truffles.
• 24. They have good long-term memories, and they can be socially manipulative with others.
• 25. Pigs are clean animals. If given enough space, they will be careful not to soil the area where they sleep or eat.
• 26. Pigs are very intelligent. They are curious and insightful animals who are widely accepted as being smarter than young children of at least 3 years of age, dogs, and even some primates.
• 27. Wild pigs play an important role in the ecosystems. By rooting and disturbing the soil, they create areas for new plants. They also spread fruit plants by dispersing their seeds.
• 28. Pigs are very peaceful animals, rarely showing aggression. The exception, as with many animals, is when a mother (sow) with her young offspring is provoked or threatened.
• 29. The pig is the last of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac and is seen to represent, fortune, honesty, happiness and virility.
• 30. Pigs have a tremendous sense of smell. The large round disk of cartilage at the tip of the snout is connected to muscle that gives it extra flexibility and strength for rooting in the ground.