…Disreputable for an “irrational” penchant for wallowing in mire, living in squalor and alleged coprophagy , the Pig family have been the subject of many scornful adages and metaphors, most notably:
“…as dirty as a pig”
“If you wrestle with a Pig ,you both get dirty, but the Pig would enjoy it”
“A Pig will always return to the mire, after being washed”
Such negative PR have been endured by the Swine Family over the years, leading to the widespread discrimination against them.
I held the same views about them, perhaps even more vehemently than most, until I was deployed to work as an intern in a Pig farm, there, I had a light bulb moment!
On my first day, a pregnant sow had just birthed 8 piglets ,They were among the most beautiful creatures I had ever seen — innocent, spotless, bright pink hued, festooned with thin brush-esque hairs. They shivered uncontrollably as the struggled to locate their mother’s bosom, it was truly a sight to behold.
I couldn't fathom how they would grow to be called some of the most appalling terms so my interest was piqued ; After a little digging here and there about their idiosyncrasies, some very interesting facts were exhumed (Brace yourselves!) :
While mammals like Humans enjoy the cooling effect of perspiration, “Dirty Pigs” lack functional sweat pores(and sweat glands) on their skin — this anatomical omission implies that heat loss via sweating is not an option,
This squashes another popular Swine slander : “sweating like a pig” (who came up with this stuff?).
In addition, the cooling feeling of perspiration is not enjoyed by pigs. I imagine not being able to sweat to be a very discomforting condition.( In humans, it is termed Anhidrosis , a potentially fatal condition.)
They are also “blessed” with a smaller lung capacity, which does not compensate for the lack of sweat gland at all. How then are they expected to cope with the generation and dissipation of internal heat?
To adapt to these limitations, Pigs have had to resort to a behavior(which may appear unconventional and sordid to onlookers) to cool themselves in rising temperatures — wallowing in mud (a behavior also exhibited by Rhinoceroses), which, not only provides a cooling effect on their skin, also, it wards off insects, especially those that perch on areas of their body, way out of the reach of their short, curly tails.
Where a body of water or mire is not accessible by pigs, coping with heat becomes a problem, and in extreme circumstances ,when temperature hits an unbearable degree, could result in heat stroke and eventual death.
I also found out that these “filthy” animals harbor a large chunk of fatback lined just below their skin ,which, recall, is devoid of functional sweat pores.
This feature is also obtainable in other animals such as the Polar Bear, and is an adaptive feature to help cope with the low temperature in regions such as the Arctic Circle and the North Pole, providing warmth and insulation against the cold.
Now, this feature is particularly disadvantageous to pigs, as high fat will equate high internal heat(even for inactive pigs), especially those raised in the tropics.
Pigs are not predominant in the arctic circle, rather they are found in the their numbers in the tropics and the temperate regions — many of which are not nearly as cold as the arctic — hence do not have the need to deal with such low temperatures. The presence of this fatback typifies a case of “bringing a gun to a knife fight”
I also observed that, interestingly, given enough space, Pigs wouldn’t ordinarily pass out excreta close to their feeding and drinking area. They only do so in confined pigsties — this habit is not exclusive to them; the more cosmopolitan Poultry egest even in their food and water and no one tagged them as “dirty.”
A closer observation of Pigs kept in clean pens, equipped with intermittent water shower system or air conditioners, confirms that the general physical outlook and hygiene-linked idiosyncrasies exhibited by them is in stark contrast to the general notion that Pigs are foul and naturally unkempt.
While I do not believe them to be the cleanest animals in the world( In my opinion that award belongs to the domestic Cat), they certainly should not be mentioned in the “Dirtiest animal in…” conversation.
After being tagged, over the years, with such unpleasant titles, and negative PR, “Piggy’s finally got the conch”, and It’s time to change the narrative.
