1 00:00:00,049 --> 00:00:05,580 Did you know that pigs can play video games, smell things 5-7 miles away, recognize human faces, 2 00:00:05,580 --> 00:00:08,109 and solve multiple-choice questions? 3 00:00:08,109 --> 00:00:11,269 Pigs often get mischaracterized as smelly, filthy, and gluttonous. 4 00:00:11,678 --> 00:00:14,021 (Unless they're in a tutu on Instagram.) 5 00:00:14,729 --> 00:00:15,678 Or this... 6 00:00:15,929 --> 00:00:19,618 We use terms like "chauvinist pig," call a messy room a "pigsty," 7 00:00:19,618 --> 00:00:23,199 and say "I'm sweating like a pig" when pigs can't even sweat! 8 00:00:23,199 --> 00:00:29,173 Get ready to puncture your porcine preconceptions with ten surprising facts about pigs. 9 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:44,532 Hi, it's Emily from BiteSizeVegan.org, where you can find free resources, eCourses, 10 00:00:44,532 --> 00:00:49,018 kids' content, and a Guided Search to help you find just what you need, even if you don't know what to ask! 11 00:00:49,018 --> 00:00:53,280 And where you'll find all the sources for this video and even more about pigs! 12 00:00:53,397 --> 00:01:00,380 Let’s start our pig fact foray with something serious: Pigs sliding down a mountain just for fun 13 00:01:00,615 --> 00:01:05,880 As researchers at WellBeing International put it, pigs take their play seriously. 14 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:08,540 Pigs play in many of the same ways dogs do. 15 00:01:08,540 --> 00:01:12,070 They wrestle, play fight, jump, and chase. 16 00:01:12,070 --> 00:01:18,327 They do that bananas-excited zooming around that anyone with a dog is more than accustomed to. 17 00:01:18,327 --> 00:01:21,560 They play with toys, with water, with each other. 18 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:26,191 They're even inventive with play, like figuring out how to mudslide down a mountain 19 00:01:26,191 --> 00:01:28,740 just for the sheer joy of it! 20 00:01:28,740 --> 00:01:34,040 But it's not just fun and games—play is essential to the development of all animals, 21 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:35,040 humans included. 22 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:39,200 Pigs raised with the opportunity to play are more cognitively and socially developed than 23 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:41,640 those confined for animal agriculture. 24 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:47,110 Now pigs aren’t just impressive with their play—they’re also crazy smart! 25 00:01:47,110 --> 00:01:52,240 Pigs are often ranked as one of the most intelligent species, possessing cognitive abilities shared 26 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:55,599 with dolphins, chimpanzees, elephants, and even humans. 27 00:01:55,599 --> 00:02:00,710 While pigs have long demonstrated their complex cognition, every time a new study emerges, 28 00:02:00,710 --> 00:02:04,750 we seem surprised all over again by their intelligence. 29 00:02:04,750 --> 00:02:10,229 All the way from a study in 1915 showing pigs could solve multiple-choice problems, to the 30 00:02:10,229 --> 00:02:15,577 headline-grabbing discovery that they can play video games, pigs continue to astound us. 31 00:02:15,675 --> 00:02:20,920 In addition to learning video game play as quickly as chimpanzees, pigs can use mirrors 32 00:02:20,920 --> 00:02:26,200 to find hidden objects, understand the passage of time, anticipate future events. 33 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:32,300 Remarkably, they are able to assume what other pigs can or can't see, and what knowledge 34 00:02:32,300 --> 00:02:38,607 other pigs possess—an indication of a high level cognitive capacity called "visual perspective taking." 35 00:02:38,607 --> 00:02:44,280 For example, pigs understand when another pig is "in the know" about a secret food site 36 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:46,038 and will follow them to get a treat. 37 00:02:46,038 --> 00:02:51,239 In turn, the pigs "in the know" will practice "tactical deception" by avoiding the hidden 38 00:02:51,239 --> 00:02:53,280 food while other pigs are around. 39 00:02:53,280 --> 00:03:00,000 Their ability to use mirrors is a sign of sophisticated cognitive processing and an indication of self-awareness 40 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,310 once thought to be limited to humans, other primates, elephants, 41 00:03:03,310 --> 00:03:06,230 dolphins, magpies, and African Grey parrots. 42 00:03:06,230 --> 00:03:10,720 Pigs have even been observed using tools, an ability which scientists believe may have 43 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:15,690 been passed down from a mother to her offspring and mate, who were also seen using tools. 44 00:03:15,690 --> 00:03:21,159 Pigs can recognize human faces, know when humans are ignoring them, and understand non-verbal 45 00:03:21,159 --> 00:03:23,220 cues and symbolic language. 46 00:03:23,220 --> 00:03:27,459 Which brings us to fact #3: pigs have their own language. 47 00:03:27,459 --> 00:03:31,569 Pigs have their own vocal language of oinks, squeals, screams, and grunts. 48 00:03:31,569 --> 00:03:35,430 Research has found that "[t]he sounds they make convey a wide range of information such 49 00:03:35,430 --> 00:03:38,689 as [their] emotional, motivational and physiological state[s]." 50 00:03:38,689 --> 00:03:44,437 There are around 20 distinct sounds in pigs' vocal communication that we humans have recognized thus far. 51 00:03:44,437 --> 00:03:49,060 They make short grunts when excited, squeal when afraid, and scream when they're hurt. 52 00:03:49,060 --> 00:03:55,082 Male pigs sing courting songs to females, and mother pigs can recognize their piglets by sound alone. 53 00:03:55,082 --> 00:04:02,168 The sounds pigs make vary with their personalities—which brings us to fact #4: pigs have personalities! 54 00:04:02,168 --> 00:04:06,650 Anyone who's known a pig won't actually be surprised to hear they have personalities. 55 00:04:06,650 --> 00:04:09,909 Pigs have individual likes and dislikes, just like we do. 56 00:04:09,909 --> 00:04:12,790 Some pigs are more outgoing, while others are more shy. 57 00:04:12,790 --> 00:04:18,074 Some pigs are eager to explore their surroundings, while others prefer to hang around familiar places 58 00:04:18,373 --> 00:04:23,470 While it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see personality in pigs, studies have shown 59 00:04:23,470 --> 00:04:25,340 they have distinct personalities. 60 00:04:25,340 --> 00:04:30,169 When interviewed for one study, even farmers raising pigs for slaughter described the pigs' 61 00:04:30,169 --> 00:04:31,740 various personality traits. 62 00:04:31,740 --> 00:04:37,320 But to really see porcine personality in all its glory, visit a farmed animal sanctuary 63 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:40,380 where pigs are free to live their best lives! 64 00:04:40,380 --> 00:04:45,400 Pigs outside of animal agriculture also get to socialize like the master minglers they are, 65 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:52,009 which brings us to fact #5: pigs are super social and make friends with other animals. 66 00:04:52,009 --> 00:04:55,160 Pigs are very social animals and form tight bonds. 67 00:04:55,160 --> 00:05:02,420 Like dogs, pigs run up to greet friends of any species with wagging tails and happy noises. 68 00:05:02,420 --> 00:05:06,699 The complexity of their social structure and awareness of other individuals is similar 69 00:05:06,699 --> 00:05:08,930 to other highly intelligent animals. 70 00:05:08,930 --> 00:05:13,240 Pigs can differentiate between members of their own species as early as six weeks old 71 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:17,820 and—as we've already learned—can also tell the difference between humans. 72 00:05:17,820 --> 00:05:23,759 Pigs prefer familiar friends over strangers, and extend their social circles to other species. 73 00:05:23,759 --> 00:05:29,350 But don't get on a pig's bad side because they will remember...which brings us to fact 74 00:05:29,350 --> 00:05:32,240 #6: Pigs have great memories! 75 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:35,409 Even newborn piglets have good short and long-term memories 76 00:05:35,409 --> 00:05:39,690 —with some scientists going as far as saying astonishingly good. 77 00:05:39,690 --> 00:05:44,509 Pigs also exhibit what's called episodic memory, a type of long-term memory specific to one's 78 00:05:44,509 --> 00:05:46,910 personal experiences throughout one's life. 79 00:05:46,910 --> 00:05:50,729 Our episodic memory is what gives us a sense of self through time. 80 00:05:50,729 --> 00:05:56,138 It's our autobiographical memory—our personal history, rather than facts and figures we've memorized. 81 00:05:56,353 --> 00:06:01,370 Studies have shown pigs understand the passage of time, remember specific events, and can 82 00:06:01,370 --> 00:06:06,250 anticipate future events—all of which indicate they may possess "a sense of self through time" 83 00:06:06,250 --> 00:06:08,870 and are capable of "planning for the future." 84 00:06:08,870 --> 00:06:14,250 Which brings us to a fact that everyone should remember (okay, not my best transition): 85 00:06:14,250 --> 00:06:17,680 Despite all the stereotypes, pigs are very clean! 86 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:21,319 Perhaps the most persistent misconception about pigs is that they're dirty. 87 00:06:21,319 --> 00:06:25,430 This impression is mainly due to their practice of wallowing in mud to cool down. 88 00:06:25,430 --> 00:06:27,389 As I mentioned, pigs can't sweat. 89 00:06:27,389 --> 00:06:31,150 So they have to use mud or water to regulate their body temperature. 90 00:06:31,150 --> 00:06:33,870 In reality, pigs are one the cleanest animals. 91 00:06:33,870 --> 00:06:37,410 When given the choice, pigs never "go to the bathroom" where they live. 92 00:06:37,410 --> 00:06:42,130 Even piglets as young as six days old make sure to "go potty" away from their bedding. 93 00:06:42,130 --> 00:06:47,458 It's only when confined in small spaces that pigs have no choice but to eliminate where they live. 94 00:06:47,458 --> 00:06:52,490 Now that we've cleared the air of the "dirty pig" myth, it's time for perhaps the most 95 00:06:52,490 --> 00:06:58,370 endearing facts about pigs: mother pigs sing to their babies while nursing. 96 00:06:58,370 --> 00:07:02,830 . Scientists believe mother pigs sing these songs to guide their piglets' nursing so that 97 00:07:02,830 --> 00:07:05,110 it synchronizes with their milk production. 98 00:07:05,110 --> 00:07:07,110 That way, they get the most out of every meal. 99 00:07:07,110 --> 00:07:12,449 Mother pigs can determine which of their piglets is in the most need based solely on the calls 100 00:07:12,449 --> 00:07:17,099 they make, and will respond to their cries differently and more intensely than the cries 101 00:07:17,099 --> 00:07:19,580 from piglets who are actually doing fine. 102 00:07:19,580 --> 00:07:23,110 Pigs are devoted mothers, and fiercely protective of their babies. 103 00:07:23,110 --> 00:07:27,520 This powerful bond is destroyed in the animal products industries, where piglets are taken 104 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:30,500 from their mothers within days or weeks of their birth. 105 00:07:30,500 --> 00:07:35,470 But momma pigs aren't alone in their capacity for love, which brings us to our penultimate 106 00:07:35,470 --> 00:07:38,150 pig fact: pigs are empathetic. 107 00:07:38,150 --> 00:07:42,650 Pigs exhibit what's called "emotional contagion," which sounds like a disease, but actually 108 00:07:42,650 --> 00:07:45,550 means they pick up on the emotional state of those around them. 109 00:07:45,550 --> 00:07:49,889 We already learned that pigs are capable of assuming what other pigs know, and what they 110 00:07:49,889 --> 00:07:51,639 can or can't see (perspective taking). 111 00:07:51,639 --> 00:07:55,979 Research shows they also share and match emotional experiences with one another. 112 00:07:55,979 --> 00:08:00,470 We've all experienced someone else making us feel uneasy with their nervousness, 113 00:08:00,470 --> 00:08:02,010 or lifted up with their joy. 114 00:08:02,010 --> 00:08:07,340 Just like us, pigs pick up on each other's fear, excitement, nervousness, or delight. 115 00:08:07,340 --> 00:08:11,370 Given all these incredible facts, why are we so wrong about pigs? 116 00:08:11,370 --> 00:08:13,990 The answer to that is our final fact. 117 00:08:13,990 --> 00:08:18,629 Our perception of pigs largely stems from our treatment of them as "food animals," 118 00:08:18,629 --> 00:08:24,223 and their resulting behavior and characteristics when confined and stressed within the animal products industries. 119 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:29,729 Within these industries, pigs are deprived of the space, socialization, mental stimulation, 120 00:08:29,729 --> 00:08:33,000 clean environment, and emotional stability they need to thrive. 121 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:38,180 As we learned, pigs perform admirably on intelligence tests, are super social, and have strong memories. 122 00:08:38,180 --> 00:08:42,419 However, their social and cognitive abilities are impacted by their environment, just like 123 00:08:42,419 --> 00:08:44,140 humans and other animals. 124 00:08:44,140 --> 00:08:49,090 Pigs raised in the animal agriculture industries suffer cognitive and long-term memory impairment, 125 00:08:49,090 --> 00:08:52,930 display behavioral abnormalities, and are even driven mad by the conditions. 126 00:08:52,930 --> 00:08:58,650 We know pigs are every bit as sensitive, sentient, and emotive as dogs—and highly intelligent. 127 00:08:58,650 --> 00:09:04,490 Yet for most people, it's horrifying to imagine a beloved dog in the same conditions we subject pigs to. 128 00:09:04,872 --> 00:09:08,459 These incredible beings deserve more from us. 129 00:09:08,459 --> 00:09:11,860 And the good news is, we can choose to no longer exploit them. 130 00:09:11,860 --> 00:09:15,480 For guidance on taking pigs off of your plate, go to BiteSizeVegan.org/GoVeganGuide 131 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:19,870 I hope you enjoyed learning these surprising facts about pigs! 132 00:09:19,870 --> 00:09:23,820 To stay in the loop about new Bite Size Vegan content and updates, please subscribe, 133 00:09:23,820 --> 00:09:27,839 and sign up for the newsletter or follow the Telegram channel for the most reliable notifications. 134 00:09:27,839 --> 00:09:30,120 Now go live vegan, and I'll see you soon.