EXPLORING NATURE: PIGS

I contribute to a number of worthy organizations, including the Salvation Army, Doctors Without Borders, and the Red Cross. These and many other charities do a ton of good work that makes the world a better place.

But one outfit I donate to is not very well known and has a most unusual clientele. I speak of the Ironwood Pig Sanctuary, a nonprofit organization that specializes in providing homes to over 620 pot-bellied pigs on several acres outside Tucson, Arizona.

These pigs sometimes have been dumped by their owners and left to fend for themselves. Other times, owners bring them into Ironwood after the pigs grew too large for their small home or apartment.

In one case, a 300-pound pig was brought in after being severely attacked by family dogs and having his ears bitten off.

Ironwood pays to neuter pigs and also for any veterinary care required, including surgery.

I receive occasional reports on the life of individual pigs at the sanctuary and feel like I know some of them quite well. (Penny and Andre are two of my current favorites.)

Pigs are unusual animals. They are cuddly and loving and most prefer to sleep snuggled up snout to snout with one another. They are highly intelligent and, like dogs, can learn their own names quickly and respond to voice commands. They can even play video games and use a joystick to direct a cursor to hit a target on a screen, a highly complex task for a non-human.

Pigs are also family-oriented and piglets stay close to their mother and siblings until they are old enough to strike out on their own. Piglets weaned abruptly will often eat less, become more aggressive and lose weight.

Anyway, I’m happy to help the hundreds of pigs at Ironwood Pig Sanctuary. I figure part of being human is the inclination to help other species needing our assistance.