WEBVTT 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, 00:00:05.580 --> 00:00:08.109 and solve multiple-choice questions? 00:00:08.109 --> 00:00:11.269 Pigs often get mischaracterized as smelly, filthy, and gluttonous. 00:00:11.678 --> 00:00:14.021 (Unless they're in a tutu on Instagram.) 00:00:14.729 --> 00:00:15.678 Or this... 00:00:15.929 --> 00:00:19.618 We use terms like "chauvinist pig," call a messy room a "pigsty," 00:00:19.618 --> 00:00:23.199 and say "I'm sweating like a pig" when pigs can't even sweat! 00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:29.173 Get ready to puncture your porcine preconceptions with ten surprising facts about pigs. 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:44.532 Hi, it's Emily from BiteSizeVegan.org, where you can find free resources, eCourses, 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! 00:00:49.018 --> 00:00:53.280 And where you'll find all the sources for this video and even more about pigs! 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 00:01:00.615 --> 00:01:05.880 As researchers at WellBeing International put it, pigs take their play seriously. 00:01:05.880 --> 00:01:08.540 Pigs play in many of the same ways dogs do. 00:01:08.540 --> 00:01:12.070 They wrestle, play fight, jump, and chase. 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. 00:01:18.327 --> 00:01:21.560 They play with toys, with water, with each other. 00:01:21.560 --> 00:01:26.191 They're even inventive with play, like figuring out how to mudslide down a mountain 00:01:26.191 --> 00:01:28.740 just for the sheer joy of it! 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, 00:01:34.040 --> 00:01:35.040 humans included. 00:01:35.040 --> 00:01:39.200 Pigs raised with the opportunity to play are more cognitively and socially developed than 00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:41.640 those confined for animal agriculture. 00:01:41.640 --> 00:01:47.110 Now pigs aren’t just impressive with their play—they’re also crazy smart! 00:01:47.110 --> 00:01:52.240 Pigs are often ranked as one of the most intelligent species, possessing cognitive abilities shared 00:01:52.240 --> 00:01:55.599 with dolphins, chimpanzees, elephants, and even humans. 00:01:55.599 --> 00:02:00.710 While pigs have long demonstrated their complex cognition, every time a new study emerges, 00:02:00.710 --> 00:02:04.750 we seem surprised all over again by their intelligence. 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 00:02:10.229 --> 00:02:15.577 headline-grabbing discovery that they can play video games, pigs continue to astound us. 00:02:15.675 --> 00:02:20.920 In addition to learning video game play as quickly as chimpanzees, pigs can use mirrors 00:02:20.920 --> 00:02:26.200 to find hidden objects, understand the passage of time, anticipate future events. 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 00:02:32.300 --> 00:02:38.607 other pigs possess—an indication of a high level cognitive capacity called "visual perspective taking." 00:02:38.607 --> 00:02:44.280 For example, pigs understand when another pig is "in the know" about a secret food site 00:02:44.280 --> 00:02:46.038 and will follow them to get a treat. 00:02:46.038 --> 00:02:51.239 In turn, the pigs "in the know" will practice "tactical deception" by avoiding the hidden 00:02:51.239 --> 00:02:53.280 food while other pigs are around. 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 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:03.310 once thought to be limited to humans, other primates, elephants, 00:03:03.310 --> 00:03:06.230 dolphins, magpies, and African Grey parrots. 00:03:06.230 --> 00:03:10.720 Pigs have even been observed using tools, an ability which scientists believe may have 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. 00:03:15.690 --> 00:03:21.159 Pigs can recognize human faces, know when humans are ignoring them, and understand non-verbal 00:03:21.159 --> 00:03:23.220 cues and symbolic language. 00:03:23.220 --> 00:03:27.459 Which brings us to fact #3: pigs have their own language. 00:03:27.459 --> 00:03:31.569 Pigs have their own vocal language of oinks, squeals, screams, and grunts. 00:03:31.569 --> 00:03:35.430 Research has found that "[t]he sounds they make convey a wide range of information such 00:03:35.430 --> 00:03:38.689 as [their] emotional, motivational and physiological state[s]." 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. 00:03:44.437 --> 00:03:49.060 They make short grunts when excited, squeal when afraid, and scream when they're hurt. 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. 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! 00:04:02.168 --> 00:04:06.650 Anyone who's known a pig won't actually be surprised to hear they have personalities. 00:04:06.650 --> 00:04:09.909 Pigs have individual likes and dislikes, just like we do. 00:04:09.909 --> 00:04:12.790 Some pigs are more outgoing, while others are more shy. 00:04:12.790 --> 00:04:18.074 Some pigs are eager to explore their surroundings, while others prefer to hang around familiar places 00:04:18.373 --> 00:04:23.470 While it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see personality in pigs, studies have shown 00:04:23.470 --> 00:04:25.340 they have distinct personalities. 00:04:25.340 --> 00:04:30.169 When interviewed for one study, even farmers raising pigs for slaughter described the pigs' 00:04:30.169 --> 00:04:31.740 various personality traits. 00:04:31.740 --> 00:04:37.320 But to really see porcine personality in all its glory, visit a farmed animal sanctuary 00:04:37.320 --> 00:04:40.380 where pigs are free to live their best lives! 00:04:40.380 --> 00:04:45.400 Pigs outside of animal agriculture also get to socialize like the master minglers they are, 00:04:45.400 --> 00:04:52.009 which brings us to fact #5: pigs are super social and make friends with other animals. 00:04:52.009 --> 00:04:55.160 Pigs are very social animals and form tight bonds. 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. 00:05:02.420 --> 00:05:06.699 The complexity of their social structure and awareness of other individuals is similar 00:05:06.699 --> 00:05:08.930 to other highly intelligent animals. 00:05:08.930 --> 00:05:13.240 Pigs can differentiate between members of their own species as early as six weeks old 00:05:13.240 --> 00:05:17.820 and—as we've already learned—can also tell the difference between humans. 00:05:17.820 --> 00:05:23.759 Pigs prefer familiar friends over strangers, and extend their social circles to other species. 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 00:05:29.350 --> 00:05:32.240 #6: Pigs have great memories! 00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:35.409 Even newborn piglets have good short and long-term memories 00:05:35.409 --> 00:05:39.690 —with some scientists going as far as saying astonishingly good. 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 00:05:44.509 --> 00:05:46.910 personal experiences throughout one's life. 00:05:46.910 --> 00:05:50.729 Our episodic memory is what gives us a sense of self through time. 00:05:50.729 --> 00:05:56.138 It's our autobiographical memory—our personal history, rather than facts and figures we've memorized. 00:05:56.353 --> 00:06:01.370 Studies have shown pigs understand the passage of time, remember specific events, and can 00:06:01.370 --> 00:06:06.250 anticipate future events—all of which indicate they may possess "a sense of self through time" 00:06:06.250 --> 00:06:08.870 and are capable of "planning for the future." 00:06:08.870 --> 00:06:14.250 Which brings us to a fact that everyone should remember (okay, not my best transition): 00:06:14.250 --> 00:06:17.680 Despite all the stereotypes, pigs are very clean! 00:06:17.680 --> 00:06:21.319 Perhaps the most persistent misconception about pigs is that they're dirty. 00:06:21.319 --> 00:06:25.430 This impression is mainly due to their practice of wallowing in mud to cool down. 00:06:25.430 --> 00:06:27.389 As I mentioned, pigs can't sweat. 00:06:27.389 --> 00:06:31.150 So they have to use mud or water to regulate their body temperature. 00:06:31.150 --> 00:06:33.870 In reality, pigs are one the cleanest animals. 00:06:33.870 --> 00:06:37.410 When given the choice, pigs never "go to the bathroom" where they live. 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. 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. 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 00:06:52.490 --> 00:06:58.370 endearing facts about pigs: mother pigs sing to their babies while nursing. 00:06:58.370 --> 00:07:02.830 . Scientists believe mother pigs sing these songs to guide their piglets' nursing so that 00:07:02.830 --> 00:07:05.110 it synchronizes with their milk production. 00:07:05.110 --> 00:07:07.110 That way, they get the most out of every meal. 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 00:07:12.449 --> 00:07:17.099 they make, and will respond to their cries differently and more intensely than the cries 00:07:17.099 --> 00:07:19.580 from piglets who are actually doing fine. 00:07:19.580 --> 00:07:23.110 Pigs are devoted mothers, and fiercely protective of their babies. 00:07:23.110 --> 00:07:27.520 This powerful bond is destroyed in the animal products industries, where piglets are taken 00:07:27.520 --> 00:07:30.500 from their mothers within days or weeks of their birth. 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 00:07:35.470 --> 00:07:38.150 pig fact: pigs are empathetic. 00:07:38.150 --> 00:07:42.650 Pigs exhibit what's called "emotional contagion," which sounds like a disease, but actually 00:07:42.650 --> 00:07:45.550 means they pick up on the emotional state of those around them. 00:07:45.550 --> 00:07:49.889 We already learned that pigs are capable of assuming what other pigs know, and what they 00:07:49.889 --> 00:07:51.639 can or can't see (perspective taking). 00:07:51.639 --> 00:07:55.979 Research shows they also share and match emotional experiences with one another. 00:07:55.979 --> 00:08:00.470 We've all experienced someone else making us feel uneasy with their nervousness, 00:08:00.470 --> 00:08:02.010 or lifted up with their joy. 00:08:02.010 --> 00:08:07.340 Just like us, pigs pick up on each other's fear, excitement, nervousness, or delight. 00:08:07.340 --> 00:08:11.370 Given all these incredible facts, why are we so wrong about pigs? 00:08:11.370 --> 00:08:13.990 The answer to that is our final fact. 00:08:13.990 --> 00:08:18.629 Our perception of pigs largely stems from our treatment of them as "food animals," 00:08:18.629 --> 00:08:24.223 and their resulting behavior and characteristics when confined and stressed within the animal products industries. 00:08:24.360 --> 00:08:29.729 Within these industries, pigs are deprived of the space, socialization, mental stimulation, 00:08:29.729 --> 00:08:33.000 clean environment, and emotional stability they need to thrive. 00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:38.180 As we learned, pigs perform admirably on intelligence tests, are super social, and have strong memories. 00:08:38.180 --> 00:08:42.419 However, their social and cognitive abilities are impacted by their environment, just like 00:08:42.419 --> 00:08:44.140 humans and other animals. 00:08:44.140 --> 00:08:49.090 Pigs raised in the animal agriculture industries suffer cognitive and long-term memory impairment, 00:08:49.090 --> 00:08:52.930 display behavioral abnormalities, and are even driven mad by the conditions. 00:08:52.930 --> 00:08:58.650 We know pigs are every bit as sensitive, sentient, and emotive as dogs—and highly intelligent. 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. 00:09:04.872 --> 00:09:08.459 These incredible beings deserve more from us. 00:09:08.459 --> 00:09:11.860 And the good news is, we can choose to no longer exploit them. 00:09:11.860 --> 00:09:15.480 For guidance on taking pigs off of your plate, go to BiteSizeVegan.org/GoVeganGuide 00:09:15.480 --> 00:09:19.870 I hope you enjoyed learning these surprising facts about pigs! 00:09:19.870 --> 00:09:23.820 To stay in the loop about new Bite Size Vegan content and updates, please subscribe, 00:09:23.820 --> 00:09:27.839 and sign up for the newsletter or follow the Telegram channel for the most reliable notifications. 00:09:27.839 --> 00:09:30.120 Now go live vegan, and I'll see you soon.