Pigs use tools
Pigs are seen using tools for the first time in Paris, France.
When Priscilla the Visayan warty pig started using sticks or pieces of bark to move dirt around her home at the Jardin des Plantes in France, scientist Meredith Root-Bernstein was amazed. “I thought, Whoa, that’s pretty cool.” Many wild animals—such as crows, chimpanzees, and dolphins—also use tools. But could pigs?
Root-Berstein asked other researchers around the world if they’d seen pigs use tools, either in the wild or in captivity. But no one had. That surprised her, because pigs are supersmart creatures that can solve problems and show emotions.
So Root-Bernstein went back to the zoo several times to watch Priscilla and her family. Though all four pigs showed similar behavior, the scientist observed that Priscilla picked up sticks the most often—and always when she was making a nest for future babies.
Now we know that captive pigs use tools, but do they act like that in the wild? Probably, but because the 17 species of wild pigs are rare and not studied often, scientists don’t know for sure. But oink you curious to find out?
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