The pig is an animal that causes disdain for most people in the world. And we are talking not only about Muslims and Jews, who consider it an unclean animal, which can not only be eaten, but also be near, grown for sale. Europeans also disliked the pig, endowing it with negative qualities. There are many sayings containing negative and contemptuous attitude towards the pig:
- Don't eat like a pig.
- Put the pig at the table - she and her feet on the table.
- What kind of pig behavior?
- Don't sword pearls before pigs!
- Knows like a pig in oranges.
- What a mess!
- Well, we got screwed!
Maybe this attitude of people towards pigs was facilitated by their eternal wallowing in the mud or not very attractive muzzle, gluttony, or maybe people disliked this animal for its bad temper and terrible rumors that this creature can eat piglets and even person. In the article we will try to figure out whether this is really so,let's dig into historical sources and find out if it's true that pigs eat people.
Who is the pig?
First consider what this pet is. The pig has a rather ancient origin. Scientists have determined that primitive pig-like creatures appeared on planet Earth 55 million years ago. Their diversity is impressive. Ancient pigs ranged in size from a rabbit to 2 meters high and 3 meters long. The giants were called entelodonts.
There was also a variety with a horn on its forehead. They were slightly smaller than entelodonts, but much larger than modern individuals. Already at that time they were omnivorous, had large incisors, fangs, and low-crowned cheek molars. With fangs, they fought off opponents, dug huge holes in the ground, mined roots and dug up plant roots.
In addition to pigs, the classification of the suborder also includes peccaries and hippos. Although pigs have hooves and are classified as artiodactyls, they are non-ruminant. Their stomach cannot digest only plant foods, they also need protein. Therefore, to the question of whether a pig can eat a person, the answer may well be in the affirmative.
The ancestors of domestic pigs - wild boars living in nature, are considered scavengers. They devour the found corpses of animals. Therefore, it can be fully argued that a hungry pig, which the owner has not fed for a long time, is able to go in search of any food on his own. Do pigs eat people? We will deal with this further.
Characteristic
Since pigs are descended from wild boars, they inherited the qualities of this formidable animal, which is better not to meet on a walk in the forest. This is quite a smart and quick-witted creature. Scientists often conducted experiments to study the behavior of a pig. It turned out that in some cases she showed ingenuity and excellent memory better than a dog. She was included in the top ten most intelligent animals in the world.
I. I. Akimushkin observed how the pig quickly orientated itself in the new situation. She knew perfectly well how to open the cabinet doors, behind which was a bowl of food. However, even he called the pig precocious and "criminal." He must have known if a pig could eat a human.
Academician IP Pavlov noted as a result of research that a pig is a very nervous animal. It loves constancy and, if something unusual happens, is terribly worried and nervous.
Describing this animal, I would like to note that it swims well, is not afraid of water, can travel up to 30 km a day for the sake of prey, and has an extraordinary sense of smell. Pigs bathe in mud solely to rid their skin of parasites, mites and other insects. The thick crust of dirt that forms on the body dries up and prevents pests and bloodsuckers from getting to the skin.
Why does a pig eat piglets
So far we have not yet understood whether a domestic pig can eat a person, but we know for sure that pigs eat their own newly born piglets quite often. The owners are worried about why this is happening. Existseveral reasons for such aggressive behavior towards their children.
First of all, the pig is tired of giving birth all the time. She is angry at the kids, because of which she was ill. Even breeders in this case need to give the pig a rest and miss a couple of hunts in a row. Secondly, the pig may be deficient in vitamins and minerals. This means that the owners of this animal should review its diet, increase its diet and add minerals, vitamins and trace elements to food.
In ancient Egypt, this ability of pigs was noticed and they worshiped the goddess of the sky Tut, whose children (stars) disappeared from the sky in the morning, and reappeared in the evenings.
Some famous artists used this habit of pigs in their statements. For example, the writer J. Joyce wrote about his homeland: "Ireland, like a pig, devours its children!" B. Grebenshchikov used the same phrase in his song, only referring to Russia.
The reader already understands that since a pig can eat its piglets, and a wild boar does not disdain carrion, then a person could easily become a great addition to the diet. So can a pig eat a human? We will look for the answer in the court documents of France.
Court on sow
In the Middle Ages, there were many stray pigs that calmly walked around villages and even cities. Hungry animals have always sought food next to humans. In addition to waste, pigs did not disdain to go into open houses in search of food. There were times when a baby was lying in a cradle on the path of a hungry sow. So, if you are asked if pigs eat people, you can safely answer that an adult can eat babies.
Law enforcement officers seized such animals and judged them like people who committed a crime. Historians explain this behavior of medieval residents in different ways. Some people think that they used to think that all creatures are equal before God, so they also need to be punished for their criminal behavior. Other researchers suggested that such open courts encouraged the owners of animals to look after them more vigilantly, and parents - not to leave babies unattended.
During the trial of the pigs, all the necessary procedures were followed: witnesses were interrogated, torture was used, the animal was sentenced and executed by the executioner. Cases were examined not only of eating babies, but also of attacks on older children. For example, a child in 1386 was torn off by an animal's leg and face.
Pig execution
Now you know if pigs can eat a living person. In French historical documents, records of trials and executions of these animals have been preserved. So, a pig that attacked a child and tore off his face and leg was sentenced to the same torture. They put on her dress, like that of the girl who was mutilated by a pig, they inflicted similar wounds on her, and the executioner publicly choked her with a thick rope.
A pig that attacked a baby was hanged in the city square. Records of money spent on the execution of pigs were keptsimilar to human. So, in 1457 the following report was written:
- Spent on keeping an animal in prison 6 sous.
- Paid for the cart that brought the pig to the scaffold, 6 sous.
- The payment for the work of the executioner, who was specially called from Paris, was 54 sous.
- Tied a pig with a rope that cost 2 sous.
- Total spent 68 sous.
For the fact that a pig ate a man, she was sentenced to death. But there were also cases of acquittal, which shows the seriousness of the judicial system of France in the Middle Ages. In 1457, piglets were acquitted, whose mother was executed for killing a man. The documents say that during the investigation it became reliably known that the participation in the crime of piglets was not established.
Now you know if it's true that pigs can eat humans. But the reasons for this behavior of animals are not clear. Why do pigs eat people? What circumstances provoke them to do so? Let's take a look at what drives the sow in such cases, whether it can attack an adult in order to eat, whether such attacks occur in modern society.
Why do pigs eat people
Pigs are considered omnivores, but they have no desire to eat only meat or specifically attack a person to satisfy their hunger. However, these animals do not see much difference between the meat of a person and the rest of the food. Even a hungry pig will not attack a person just like that. The smell of blood can provoke her.
As a rule, hungry animals choose weak people to attack. It can be an injured, sick, helpless child or an old person. A few escaped cannibal pigs pose a danger. It is very dangerous to meet a wild animal one on one.
Famous tragic cases
If you still doubt whether a pig can eat a person, then read the real story that happened in Russia. In 2008, in winter, a tragedy happened in the village of Mikhalkovo, located in close proximity to Tula. A lonely old man kept a large number of ducks, dogs, and cats on the farm. The house was old, dilapidated and neglected. It was in this building that 70-year-old Valentin Belousov lived together with 5 pigs. One day, the neighbors discovered that the pensioner had not been seen for several days. Panic was raised by the postman, who, looking through the window of the house, saw a gnawed skull lying on the floor.
Neighbors called the police, but even the guards of the law were afraid to go to the angry animals in the house. From hunger, the pigs threw themselves at the doors and beat their muzzles. First, food was thrown at them, and only then were people able to enter a room that looked more like a barn than human housing. On the floor, they found the remains of clothes, hair and the skull of the poor owner.
Since the man was not listed as a drunk, they thought he had a heart attack. Hungry animals could well have eaten an already dead body. Therefore, they did not execute them, as in medieval France, but handed over the animals to the relatives of the tragically deceasedBelousova.
The Italian mafia used pigsties to hide corpses. There are cases when in this way they got rid of rivals from other mafia clans. According to Simon Pepe, you can understand how much a pig eats a person. He said that Francesco Rakkosta, beaten with metal bars, was thrown into a herd of pigs, and in 8 minutes 16 animals ate a 90-kilogram man.
Tragedy in a Chinese village
In November 2014, a terrible tragedy occurred in a Chinese village in Jiangsu province. A two-year-old boy named Wei Tsao, affectionately called Keke by his parents, was playing in the yard. Unaware of the terrible danger, the child approached the place where the recently born pig was kept. The animal saw a threat in the face of the baby for its cubs and rushed to the attack.
While adults ran to the cries of the child, Keke was completely torn to pieces by a blood-maddened pig. Parents, approaching, witnessed that the pig was eating the head of the child. Out of horror, the villagers tied the animal to a post and beat it to death. After checking the contents of the pig's stomach, they were convinced that it was she who killed their beloved son.
What happened researchers explain the behavior of pigs by the fact that during pregnancy and immediately after childbirth, the animal, even usually quiet and meek, becomes aggressive, and every female in nature tries to protect her offspring. Quite a few cases are known when, for example, a she-bear attacked a traveler if he was in the way of her and the cubs. Nowit becomes clear why the pig ate the man. After the tragedy in China, it was forbidden to keep pigs in the yards. They should only be in special fenced pens.
In what cases can a pig attack
After reading the article, many pet owners will wonder if a domestic pig can eat a human. Experienced livestock breeders notice that from birth, piglets show aggression, fighting for the mother's nipple. The hierarchy in the herd is determined by the strength and size of the boar. Already growing up, the piglets sort things out among themselves, moving up the hierarchical ladder in case of victory, occupying a position higher among the rest. This feature is also inherent in older individuals.
Why do animals attack mainly weak, wounded or old people, as well as children? Because they feel superior. They need to be shown that they are better and stronger than the rest of the people around them. However, many attacks occur without any explanation. English pigs are considered especially aggressive, which can push a passerby and, when he falls, pounce on the poor fellow with the whole flock and bite him.
Many cases are described when pigs throw themselves at passers-by, first lowering their heads down and digging the ground with anger before throwing. Pigs are very fast animals, despite their outward clumsiness, they are able to chase a victim, knock a person down at speed. Often, after being bitten by pigs, people get sick for a long time from infection, as the animals are unclean.
Can a pig kill on purpose
The answer to this question is unequivocal. Yes maybe. According to statistics, an average of 22 people die every year from pet attacks in America. Of all the cases, about 75% of the animals deliberately attacked their owners. But this data is general, all livestock, not just pigs.
Recently, in 2017, Marie Yates was attacked by a pig in Darlaston. The woman was sitting in bed reading a book when she heard a noise. Looking out into the yard, she saw a 30-kilogram pig, which destroyed the doors of the barn and trampled and ate all the plants in the garden. The woman naively thought that she could drive her away with a broom. But the animal pounced on her and tore her leg in several places. I had to sew up a wound 8 cm long and 2 cm deep. Neighbors ran to the cries for help, only thanks to the intervention of the police and many people the woman remained alive.
Knowing exactly that pigs are dangerous creatures, be careful keeping them in an aviary or a special pen. Take care of yourself and do not leave your children unattended!
