Helps us
June 19, 2008 (Thursday)
As our hearts go out to flood victims in the Midwest, we also notice stories of interest taking place during the floods. For instance, in Kingston, Iowa, 12 pigs escaped their flooded farms, swam through the rising waters, and finally made it to the top of a sandbag levee, where they were immediately shot. Officials were wary of the effects on the sandbags of their sharp hooves and rooting instincts, which might puncture the bags and render them ineffective against the floodwaters.
Poor piggies. After all they have done for us humans. Not only do they provide us food, but they provide medical help for us. You may know someone who has been saved by the implantation of a pig’s heart valve. Other organs, like the liver, have been used temporarily as patients awaited a human organ for transplant, thus saving a life. Now pig’s intestines are being processed into very thin sheets of material which, when placed on a wound that has refused to heal, offer a chance for the patient to generate new skin and finally heal. All this is in addition to the fact that pigs are used in research for development of treatments for us, because they are subject to some illnesses in common with humans. Thanks, little piggies, for all the help.
On the old Tonight Show, Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon used to have a running debate about intelligent animals. Johnny insisted the pig was smarter than the horse or dog. He may have been right. We all know that horses are smart, but there are many different kinds of pigs, and research has shown some varieties to have very high intelligence.
Piglets learn their names by the time they are 2 to 3 weeks old and respond when called. Many researchers are convinced that pigs are actually smarter than 3-year-old children. If you have ever seen the movie, “Babe,” you’ve probably not looked at pigs in the same way since.