Between 2000 and 2010, keeping pigs as pets became popular in Western nations, which, paradoxically, generally include this meat in their diet. After the years of coexistence we have witnessed many cases in which these pets had saved their owners. Others had learned behaviors that until then had not been considered typical of this group of animals.
All this has made us question their degree of intelligence as well as their emotional abilities. For this reason, recent studies have provided more data on the intelligence of pigs Discover everything that has been studied on this subject in this article on our site. You will be amazed, guaranteed!
Why was there no regard for his intelligence until now?
The main historical point for not estimating the intelligence of this group of animals is that they form an important part of the Western diet. For our society it is not ethical to include in the diet animals that we consider intelligent. Examples of this are dogs or dolphins, animals that no one questions about their intelligence and most of society finds it absurd to think of including them in the diet.
As the pig is seen as food, we raise it in industrial quantities to supply the population. This makes the perception we have of them dirty animals, crowded in their own excrement. But this fact is only a consequence of the conditions of captive breeding, and not a natural behavior of the pigs.
The suspicions of his unknown intelligence
Observing their behavior, it is easy to see that they are curious and intuitive animals They prepare the bed and use the mud to cool off and take care of your skin during the day. This skin care is especially important in hairless animals, such as elephants or rhinoceroses. And not a dirty deed as was historically done to pigs.
In rural areas there has always been a greater integration of animals in the daily life of society. The pigs, like the rest of the cattle, are taken daily from the stables to graze or go in search of food and at night they are taken back to the stable where they spend the nights sheltered. Well, in many testimonies collected, the pigs established their routes and voluntarily returned to the night shelter while the bovine cattle had to be led.
There are cases of pigs that have been famous in their towns and have even been pardoned. The pig used in the truffle hunt, must be trained not to eat the truffle when it finds it and wait for the reward. The training method is the same as that practiced on dogs.
The perception of consciousness
The fact of perceiving the consciousness of one's own individual is something that for years was considered exclusive to humans, as a characteristic of a being rational, capable of thinking and being aware of his own existence. Most animals act guided by primal instincts without realizing whether they have a will of their own or not.
The fact of recognizing oneself in a mirror is an advanced level of perception, given to dolphins and macaques. Research by Dr. Donald Broom at the University of Cambridge (UK) states that the domestic pig is able to recognize itself They also experience a wide range of emotions, being able to feel love or fear among others.
Intelligence comparable to a three year old
Experiments with pigs have reached a very high level of complexity In which they are encouraged to solve difficulties that only they can get out if they reconstruct mental images of the problem. Later they mentally search for the solution before putting it into practice.
Examples:
- They can manipulate a remote control to get the result they want.
- They are capable of memorizing long journeys in search of something they already know.
- You can solve puzzles through a mirror that reflects the image.
- In chase games with two individuals, it happens that when one discovers the riddle, the other first chases him, but the first tries to trick him to get all the reward for himself.
This type of skills are positioned by experts in human brain development from 3 years of age.
