Man Who Thought He Was Adopting a 'Micro-Pig' Ends Up With a 600-Pound Behemoth
In this extraordinary footage, we meet Steve who is a pig enthusiast! Eight years ago, he adopted what he thought was a micro pig. This should’ve been a cute little pet who would be a miniature companion for years to come. What he got was something very different!
Starting off at 10 inches in length, Esther loved to play with her dog siblings. Soon, she started to grow, and it turns out that she was actually a regular commercial pig. At one point, she was growing a pound a day! At a year old, she weighed a massive 400 pounds but still had an amazing personality. Her love of doughnuts and cookies meant that she soon topped the scales at 600 pounds. The experience has made Steve adopt a vegan lifestyle. He also set up a farm sanctuary to help animals in need.
What Is the History of Domestic Pigs?
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Pigs were one of the first animals to be domesticated (or commercialized) by humans and have shared our lives for thousands of years. They are very social and intelligent creatures and are biologically very similar to humans. The scientific name for the domestic pig is Sus scrofa domesticus and there are around 60 million of them living on farms in the US alone. There are also hundreds of breeds of domestic pig with slightly different body shapes, sizes, and colors.
Our current domestic pigs were bred from Eurasian wild boars. This probably happened in multiple locations across Asia, India, Europe, and Africa. There are records of early pig domestication in eastern turkey from 9000 years ago. They first arrived in North America during the 1500s.
What Exactly Are Micro Pigs?
Micro pigs are sometimes called mini pigs, pocket pigs, or teacup pigs and have become more popular as pets in the last decade or so. They are not a separate breed and can be a variety of domestic pig breeds. The micro pigs have been bred selectively so that they are small. Whilst they are very cute, they are not always the easiest pets to look after. You first need to check the local laws in your area to make sure that you are able to keep what is essentially a farm animal in your home. Because these pigs are often purchased they are newborn, there is no way of knowing how big they are going to get. Micro pigs should only weigh up to 150 pounds when they are fully grown. However, as you see in this clip, you may get a surprise!
