Esther the wonder pig
Imagine buying a cute little micro pig thinking it will stay this size forever. Well, as it turns out sometimes they don’t. These unpredictable piggies can get to be really big. A couple from Canada decided to adopt a micro pig as a pet. They were thinking it would only reach a weight of around 70 pounds. They were way wrong as the pig reached a staggering 670 pounds! Their pig initially weighed less than 4 pounds and was barely 12 inches long from tail to snout.
Steve met Derek while they were working at Montana’s Cookhouse Restaurant. They fondness of animals brought them together. Derek Walter and Steve Jenkins didn’t think that their little pig would get to be the size of a female polar bear. They decided upon a name and Esther seemed to fit. This pig has its own Facebook page with over 230,000 fans and its own Twitter page with over 30,000 followers. There is even a website where you can join Derek, Steve and their pig on a cruise.
Perhaps this pig is changing the way we perceive them. Pigs are actually not as dirty as people think. The reason they roll around in the mud or cool water from time to time, is because they don’t have as many sweat glands to keep themselves cool. Pigs are also fairly intelligent. I know there is a Canadian bacon joke somewhere coming…but they are more intelligent than some species of dogs, chimpanzees, elephants, and dolphins to name a few.
Esther is two years old now, if a pig is well cared for they can live between 15-20 years compared to their wild counterparts who are estimated to live between 4-8 years. Esther is actually toilet-trained and eats about $33 dollars of food each week. Her vegan diet consists of rolled oats, corn, barley, fruit and vegetables. With Esther’s size Derek and Steve had to move into a farm to house their two dogs and cat also.
Friends have come over mentioning that they think Esther has become bigger. They denied the allegations. However, Esther has been caught stealing food from kitchen counters as the couch became smaller as she kept getting bigger. They didn’t ever consider getting rid of their pig. They love this animal and would never giver her up.
Steve mentioned that there is a bond between them and the pig. She sleeps beside their bed on a mattress. Sometimes she will get on on the bed and nap during the day. Derek and Steve have used some of their new found fame to sell calendars, mugs and even postcards of their micro pig which is now a full sized sow. Some video footage of them is out there as well. If your interested in the cruise, click the image below:
