Narrator: FILTHY.
LAZY.
GREEDY.
PIGS.
[SNORT]
WE THINK WE KNOW THEM,
BUT TAKE A CLOSER LOOK,
AND THEY‘RE FULL OF SURPRISES.
THEY‘VE CONQUERED NEARLY EVERY HABITAT ON EARTH.
SOME BREEZE BY IN 90 BELOW...
WHILE OTHERS RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE.
THEY FORM REMARKABLE RELATIONSHIPS.
AND THEIR CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH US
MAKES THEM EVEN MORE SUCCESSFUL.
THIS FILM REVEALS HOW PIGS HAVE BECOME
ONE OF THE MOST NUMEROUS AND WIDESPREAD MAMMALS
ON OUR PLANET.
FROM REMOTE WILDERNESS...
TO THE HEARTS OF OUR CITIES...
WE‘LL UNCOVER THE AMAZING ABILITIES
THAT HELP THEM THRIVE ANYWHERE.
THIS IS THEIR TIME IN THE SPOTLIGHT.
YOU‘LL NEVER LOOK AT PIGS THE SAME WAY AGAIN.
PARADISE.
NOT THE FIRST THING WE ASSOCIATE WITH PIGS.
THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FLY...
BUT THEY CAN CERTAINLY SWIM.
♪
FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT THEM.
PIGS ARE REMARKABLE ANIMALS.
THEY HAVE ALL SORTS OF ABILITIES
THAT MEAN, WHEREVER THEY GO,
THEY THRIVE.
♪
LIKE HERE,
IN A REMOTE CORNER OF THE BAHAMAS.
THESE ARE FERAL PIGS--
ONCE DOMESTIC ANIMALS
THAT NOW LIVE A LIFE OF FREEDOM BEYOND THE FARMYARD FENCE.
BUT HOW DID THEY GET HERE?
SOME SAY THEY‘RE SURVIVORS OF A PIRATE SHIP,
WRECKED IN A DEVASTATING STORM.
WHATEVER THE TRUTH,
ONE THING IS CERTAIN--
FEW OTHER ANIMALS COULD MAKE IT ON A REMOTE ISLAND
LIKE THESE PIGS DO.
THAT‘S BECAUSE PIGS ARE BORN SURVIVORS,
AMONG THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MAMMALS ON EARTH.
[SNORTING]
WE‘RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH THE FARMYARD PIG.
WE SHARE THE PLANET WITH OVER A BILLION OF THEM.
BUT DON‘T BE FOOLED BY THEIR HUMBLE BEARING...
AND PORTLY NONCHALANCE.
PIGS HAVE TALENTS
WE‘RE JUST BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND.
THAT SNOUT‘S NOT JUST FOR SNIFFING.
IT‘S EXTREMELY DEXTEROUS,
LIKE AN EXTRA LIMB.
[GRUNTING]
AND PIGS ARE SMARTER THAN YOU THINK.
THEY CAN OUTPERFORM DOGS
AND MATCH CHIMPANZEES IN SOME TASKS.
NOT MUCH PUZZLES A PIG.
[SNORT]
AND FAR FROM BEING LAZY,
PIGS ARE MUCH MORE ATHLETIC THAN WE REALIZE.
HOW THEY GOT THIS WAY AND HOW FAR THEY‘VE COME
IS AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY.
[CROWD CHEERS]
THERE ARE OVER 20 DIFFERENT WILD PIG SPECIES,
LIVING IN ALMOST EVERY HABITAT.
PIGS, AS WE KNOW THEM,
HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR SOME 30 MILLION YEARS.
[SNORT]
THEY‘RE RELATED TO A LARGE GROUP OF HOOFED MAMMALS
THAT INCLUDE MOOSE,
CAMELS...
AND EVEN HIPPOS.
AND THEY SHARE A LONG, UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP WITH US.
THE OLDEST KNOWN ANIMAL ROCK PAINTING IS--
YOU GUESSED IT--
A PIG.
FOUND IN INDONESIA, IT DATES BACK 35,000 YEARS.
DOMESTICATION BEGAN A LITTLE LATER--
SOME 10,000 YEARS AGO.
AND THAT IS THANKS TO ONE PARTICULAR SPECIES--
WILD BOAR,
THE ANCESTOR TO ALL DOMESTIC PIGS.
THEY CAME INTO CONTACT WITH US
BECAUSE THEY‘RE THE MOST WIDESPREAD
OF ALL LARGE LAND MAMMALS.
THEY‘VE CONQUERED EUROPE, ASIA, AND EVEN PARTS OF AFRICA.
AND THEIR SECRET WEAPON?
THEIR MIGHTY NOSE.
A BOAR‘S LIFE IS ALL ABOUT SMELL.
SEVEN PERCENT OF ITS BRAIN
IS ASSIGNED TO PROCESSING SCENT--
700 TIMES MORE THAN IN THE HUMAN BRAIN.
IT HELPS THEM SNIFF OUT THE CHANGING SEASONAL MENU.
FALL HERE IN GERMANY MEANS ACORNS.
AND BOARS SPEND 80 PERCENT OF THEIR TIME
SEARCHING FOR THEM.
BUT FOR PIGS,
SCENT IS ABOUT SO MUCH MORE THAN FINDING FOOD.
A NEW FRAGRANCE IS DRAWING IN MALES FROM MILES AROUND.
THE AIR IS THICK
WITH THE DISTINCTIVE SMELL OF FEMALES READY TO MATE.
ENOUGH TO MAKE THIS DOMINANT MALE DROOL.
IT‘S DRIVING EVERYONE WILD,
EVEN THESE YOUNG MALES.
BUT THE BIG GUY WON‘T TOLERATE ANY COMPETITION.
[SQUEALING]
NO MATTER HOW MUCH SMALLER.
[SQUEALING]
THERE ARE ONLY ENOUGH FEMALES FOR ONE AROUND HERE.
[SQUEALING]
BUT THEIR SCENT IS SO ALLURING,
IT‘S ATTRACTING OTHER LARGE MALES.
HE‘LL HAVE TO FIGHT.
HE SIZES UP HIS RIVAL,
PREPARES FOR BATTLE,
AND IT‘S ON.
[GRUNTING]
HE MAY HAVE ESTABLISHED HIS DOMINANCE,
BUT WINNING OVER FEMALES TAKES MORE THAN MUSCLE.
HE NEEDS SCENT ON HIS SIDE.
[SNIFFING]
HIS SALIVA CONTAINS A SPECIAL CHEMICAL
CALLED A PHEROMONE,
WHICH IS A KEY TRIGGER FOR FEMALES.
THOUGH, RIGHT NOW, FOR ALL HIS DROOLING,
THEY‘RE NOT BUYING.
[SNIFFING]
AT ITS PEAK, THE PHEROMONE IS THOUGHT TO BE SO POWERFUL
IT CAN EVEN ADVANCE THE PUBERTY OF YOUNG FEMALES.
BUT THE POWER OF THE PIG‘S NOSE
DOESN‘T JUST SHAPE THEIR MATING HABITS.
IT ALSO HELPS FORGE A SPECIAL BOND
WITH ANOTHER SPECIES.
US.
ALL DOMESTIC PIGS ARE DESCENDED FROM WILD BOAR,
AND KIKI HERE IS NO EXCEPTION.
[GRUNTING]
SHE‘S ON THE TRAIL OF A SCENT SHE SIMPLY CANNOT RESIST.
IT‘S A PRIZE US HUMANS ALSO VALUE DEARLY.
THE SCENT IS COMING FROM BELOW THE GROUND.
EVEN AT DEPTHS OF 3 FEET,
IT‘S DETECTED BY KIKI‘S FORMIDABLE NOSE.
BIZARRELY,
IT BELONGS TO THE FRUITING BODY OF A TYPE OF FUNGUS.
AND KIKI CAN SMELL IT
BECAUSE THE FUNGUS MIMICS THE SAME PHEROMONE
FOUND IN THE SALIVA OF MALE WILD BOAR.
IT‘S USING HER
BECAUSE IT NEEDS HELP DISPERSING ITS SPORES INTO THE AIR.
A STROKE OF HER SNOUT REVEALS THE PRIZE.
[SNORTING]
NORMALLY SHE‘D EAT IT,
BUT THE FARMER HAS OTHER PLANS.
SHE‘LL GET A DIFFERENT TREAT LATER.
THIS FUNGUS HAPPENS TO BE EXTREMELY VALUABLE,
AND WE‘VE BEEN USING PIGS TO FIND IT FOR CENTURIES.
[BELL TOLLING]
THE RURAL TOWN OF PÉRIGORD IN FRANCE
IS PARTICULARLY FAMOUS FOR IT.
PÉRIGORD BLACK TRUFFLES,
WORTH THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS PER POUND.
HERE IN EUROPE, PEOPLE PROFIT FROM PIGS‘ SUPER SENSES.
BUT ELSEWHERE,
PIGS USE THEIR POWERS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF US.
WE MAY OCCASIONALLY STEAL PIGS‘ FOOD,
BUT IN ONE DESERT TOWN, THE TABLES HAVE TURNED.
[BIRD SHRIEKS]
TUCSON, ARIZONA.
WITCHING HOUR IS HERE,
AND AN INVASION IS ABOUT TO BEGIN.
[HOWLING]
IT‘S HALLOWEEN NIGHT.
[BARKING]
SPOOKS AND GHOULS RULE THE STREETS.
BUT SHADOWY FORCES ARE GATHERING AT THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN.
[SNIFFING]
THESE ARE COLLARED PECCARIES,
KNOWN LOCALLY AS JAVELINA.
THEY‘RE THE NATIVE PIG OF THE NEW WORLD.
PECCARIES KNOW EVERY INCH OF THIS CITY,
USING WELL-WORN PATHS
TO SNEAK AROUND THEIR FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND TONIGHT, THEY‘RE GOING TRICK-OR-TREATING.
HALLOWEEN MEANS RICH REWARDS
FOR THOSE WITH THE RIGHT SKILLS TO FIND THEM.
AS THE PARTY DIES DOWN,
THEY MAKE THEIR MOVE.
♪
FORGET CANDY.
THE PECCARIES ARE HERE FOR THE DECORATIONS.
THEY‘VE JUST GOT TO WATCH OUT FOR THOSE CANDLES.
ALL ACROSS THE CITY,
IT‘S A BOTTOMLESS PUMPKIN BUFFET.
♪
TUCSON‘S PECCARIES
ALWAYS SEEM TO REMEMBER EXACTLY WHERE TO FIND THEM.
♪
[SNORTING, GROWLING]
THERE‘S PLENTY TO GO ROUND,
AS LONG AS THESE TWO DON‘T BLOW THEIR COVER.
[GRUNTING]
♪
[CRASH]
[DOG BARKING]
[DOOR CREAKING]
IT TURNS OUT,
THE SECRET TO THE PECCARIES‘ HALLOWEEN SUCCESS
ISN‘T JUST IN ITS SMELLING POWER.
PIGS HAVE EXTRAORDINARY MEMORIES.
SO GOOD, THEY CAN REMEMBER THEIR WAY THROUGH A MAZE
DAYS AFTER LAST BEING SHOWN WHERE FOOD IS HIDDEN,
WITHOUT PUTTING A SINGLE TROTTER WRONG.
PRETTY IMPRESSIVE FOR A HUMBLE PIG.
IN THE WILD, THIS HELPS PIGS MAKE THE MOST OF FOOD RESOURCES.
THEY RETURN AGAIN AND AGAIN
TO PLACES WHERE THEY FIND THE MOST TO EAT.
BUT THERE‘S MORE.
[ROOSTER CROWS]
PIGS CAN REMEMBER THE EXACT LOCATION
OF MULTIPLE FOOD SOURCES.
ONLY ONE OF THESE BUCKETS CONTAINS FOOD.
EVERY TIME THE PIG ENTERS,
THE FOOD IS IN A DIFFERENT BUCKET.
BUT THAT‘S LITTLE TROUBLE FOR THIS PIG,
BECAUSE HE REMEMBERS EXACTLY WHERE TO LOOK.
HE SEEMS TO USE A MENTAL MAP OF THE MAZE
TO CHECK THE BUCKETS IN TURN.
AND HE DOES THIS IN A REMARKABLE WAY.
HE CHECKS EACH SPOT IN PERFECT ORDER,
NEVER DOUBLING BACK
OR TRAVELING FURTHER THAN NECESSARY.
HIS MEMORY AND SYSTEMATIC APPROACH
MAKE HIM A FORMIDABLE FORAGER--
A KEY SKILL FOR CONQUERING NEW ENVIRONMENTS.
BUT A PIG‘S MENTAL INGENUITY EXTENDS FAR BEYOND FINDING FOOD.
WHEN THEY CAN‘T SOLVE A PROBLEM THEMSELVES,
SOME SPECIES EVEN MANAGE TO RECRUIT HELP.
MEET THE WARTHOG.
THEY LOVE TO ROLL AROUND IN THE MUD.
KNOWN AS WALLOWING,
IT KEEPS THEIR SKIN FREE FROM TICKS AND PARASITES.
A MUD BATH MIGHT LOOK MESSY,
BUT PIGS ARE ACTUALLY METICULOUSLY CLEAN ANIMALS.
[INSECTS BUZZING]
[GRUNTS]
THE WALLOW ALSO HELPS THEM COOL OFF
IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY.
BUT IN THE VERY HOTTEST MONTHS ON THE SAVANNAH,
THESE WARTHOGS FACE A DILEMMA.
THE INTENSE AFRICAN SUN DRIES OUT ALL THE MUD,
LEAVING THEM EXPOSED TO SWARMS OF INSECTS.
[BUZZING]
IT‘S INSUFFERABLE...
EVEN WITH THEIR TOUGH HIDE.
[SNORTING]
BUT A HANDFUL OF SMART WARTHOGS HAVE FIGURED OUT A SOLUTION.
THEY ENLIST A HELPING HAND.
BANDED MONGOOSES.
THEY‘RE VORACIOUS INSECT EATERS,
SPENDING MOST OF THEIR DAY ON THE HUNT FOR FOOD.
♪
THEY PATROL THE SAVANNAH IN GANGS OF OVER 20 STRONG.
AND WITH SO MANY MOUTHS TO FEED,
MONGOOSES NEED TO FIND A LOT OF INSECTS.
AS AN INSECT MAGNET,
PERHAPS A WARTHOG COULD PROVIDE A DECENT SNACK.
ONLY, ITS LONG LEGS MAKE THIS DINING TABLE
A LITTLE TOO HIGH FOR A MONGOOSE.
SO, SOME CLEVER WARTHOGS HAVE LEARNED TO LIE DOWN
WHEN THE GANG IS AROUND.
IT SENDS A VERY CLEAR MESSAGE.
THE MONGOOSE SPA IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
♪
NOW IN RANGE,
THE MONGOOSES CLEAN THE TICKS AND LICE
FROM ALL THOSE HARD-TO-REACH PLACES.
PURE BLISS.
IT‘S THE PERFECT PARTNERSHIP.
THE WARTHOGS ARE KEPT HEALTHY,
THE MONGOOSES GET A MEAL,
EATING THEIR FILL WITHOUT NIPPING THEIR PATRONS.
♪
MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIPS LIKE THEIRS
ARE ALMOST UNHEARD OF BETWEEN MAMMALS.
IT‘S A BRILLIANT SOLUTION FOR A NAGGING PROBLEM--
ONE THAT HINTS PIGS MIGHT WELL BE SMARTER THAN WE REALIZE.
BUT JUST HOW SMART?
ONE WAY TO FIND OUT IS TO PUT THEM IN FRONT OF A MIRROR.
SELF-AWARENESS IS A KEY MEASURE OF INTELLIGENCE.
AND SCIENTISTS HAVE DEVISED A CHALLENGE
THAT SUGGESTS PIGS MAY HAVE A SENSE OF THEIR OWN SELVES.
ON ONE SIDE OF THE DIVIDER, SOME CARROTS.
[SNORTING]
ON THE OTHER SIDE, SQUIDGE THE PIG.
CAN SHE USE THE REFLECTION TO WORK OUT WHERE THEY ARE?
IF SHE WALKS FORWARD,
IT WOULD SUGGEST SHE‘S SEEING
ANOTHER PIG AND A BUCKET IN FRONT OF HER.
BUT IF SHE TURNS AROUND BEHIND THE DIVIDER,
IT WOULD IMPLY SHE RECOGNIZES THAT THESE ARE REFLECTIONS.
CAN SHE PASS THE TEST?
NO PROBLEM.
SHE APPEARS TO REALIZE AND INTERPRET VERY QUICKLY
THAT SHE‘S DEALING WITH A REFLECTION.
AND BY RECOGNIZING THE BUCKET‘S REFLECTION,
COULD IT ALSO MEAN SHE RECOGNIZES HER OWN?
DOES SHE HAVE A SENSE OF HER OWN SELF?
IT‘S NOT THE PERFECT TEST,
BUT IT SUGGESTS PIGS MAY WELL POSSESS
A LEVEL OF SELF-AWARENESS
FOR WHICH THEY RECEIVE LITTLE ACCLAIM.
IT‘S LONG BEEN THOUGHT THAT HIGHER INTELLIGENCE
RESULTS FROM THE CHALLENGES OF LIVING IN A SOCIAL GROUP.
AND LIKE MANY OF THE WORLD‘S SMARTEST SPECIES,
PIGS ARE HIGHLY SOCIAL.
IN THE INTERESTS OF GETTING ALONG,
RESEARCH SUGGESTS PIGS CAN BE OPTIMISTIC, PESSIMISTIC,
FEEL EMPATHY, AND EVEN GRIEVE.
AND THERE‘S A TEST THAT SUGGESTS
THEY‘RE ALSO CAPABLE OF COMPLEX SOCIAL BEHAVIORS.
THIS LITTLE PIG HAS BEEN SHOWN WHICH BUCKET CONTAINS FOOD.
THIS LITTLE PIG, HOWEVER, HAS NOT.
THE FOOD IS MOVED EACH DAY,
BUT THE FIRST PIG ALWAYS GETS THE CHANCE TO LEARN AND REMEMBER
EXACTLY WHERE IT IS.
OVER TIME, WHEN THE TWO ENTER TOGETHER,
THE NAIVE PIG LEARNS TO FOLLOW THE ONE IN THE KNOW.
THE PIG THAT KNOWS WHERE THE FOOD IS
THEN HAS TO SHARE HIS SPOILS...
OR CAN EVEN BE FORCED OFF.
[SQUEALING]
BUT IN AN EXTRAORDINARY DEVELOPMENT,
THE PIG IN THE KNOW
SOON BEGINS TO STOP HEADING DIRECTLY
TO THE BUCKET CONTAINING THE FOOD.
HAS HE LOST HIS SENSE OF DIRECTION?
APPARENTLY NOT.
ONCE THE OTHER PIG‘S BACK IS TURNED,
HE MAKES HIS WAY TO THE FOOD.
COULD IT BE THIS LITTLE PIG IS SNEAKY SMART,
ACTUALLY DECEIVING HIS RIVAL?
[SNIFF]
PIGS LEAD COMPLEX SOCIAL LIVES,
AND STRONG SOCIAL BONDS ARE KEY TO THEIR SURVIVAL.
THE CASTAWAYS OF THE BAHAMAS
ARE DEVELOPING A BURGEONING PIG SOCIETY.
AND IT‘S HELPING THEM RAISE THE NEXT GENERATION.
[SNORTING]
PIGLETS, JUST A FEW DAYS OLD.
AND YET, THEY SHARE THEIR NEST WITH OTHER PIGLETS--
SEVERAL WEEKS OLDER
AND CLEARLY FROM A DIFFERENT LITTER.
[SQUEALING]
JUST LIKE THE WILD BOAR FROM WHICH THEY DESCEND,
THESE FERAL PIGS COOPERATE IN ALL-FEMALE GROUPS
OF ROUGHLY THREE INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR YOUNG.
[SQUEALING]
AND THAT ALLIANCE EXTENDS TO FEEDING TIME.
[SQUEALING]
ONE FEMALE SUCKLES ALL THE PIGLETS AT ONCE,
FREEING UP THE OTHER MOTHERS TO SPEND MORE TIME FORAGING.
LOOKING AFTER THIS MANY YOUNGSTERS
MAY BE TIRING WORK,
BUT HAVING OTHERS HELP RAISE YOUR YOUNG
IS ONE OF THE MANY BENEFITS OF GROUP LIVING.
AND IT‘S RIGHT HERE AT THE TEAT
THAT PIG SOCIAL STRUCTURES ARE FORMED.
[GRUNTING]
[SNIFFING]
[DOVE COOING IN DISTANCE]
SCIENTISTS HAVE TURNED TO THE FARMYARD PIG
TO BETTER UNDERSTAND
EXACTLY HOW PIGS DEVELOP THEIR SOCIAL ORDER
SO EARLY IN LIFE.
[SQUEALING]
THESE PIGLETS ARE JUST TWO WEEKS OLD,
AND THEY‘RE ALREADY ESTABLISHING A HIERARCHY.
EACH HAS A NUMBER DRAWN ON ITS BACK
FROM THE TIME IT LAST LINED UP TO SUCKLE,
A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR AGO.
WHEN MOM GIVES THE CUE TO FEED AGAIN,
THE RESULT IS REMARKABLE.
[SQUEALING]
THEY LINE UP IN THE EXACT SAME ORDER.
♪
ANOTHER HOUR PASSES BEFORE THE NEXT FEEDING TIME.
[SNORTING]
AND AGAIN, AFTER SOME EXCITEMENT,
THE ORDER RETURNS.
WHY MIGHT THIS HAPPEN?
MOM‘S FRONT PAIR OF TEATS PROVIDE MORE MILK,
SO THE FITTEST YOUNGSTERS FIGHT TO SUCKLE FROM THEM
IN THE FIRST DAYS OF LIFE.
AND SO THE ORDER GOES ON.
THE FURTHER DOWN THE LINE, THE LESS MILK IS AVAILABLE.
IT MAY SEEM TOUGH,
BUT THERE ARE BENEFITS TO THIS COMPETITION.
IT TURNS OUT,
THE MORE STIMULATION THERE IS TO HER FRONT TEATS,
THE MORE MILK SHE PRODUCES OVERALL.
SO WHILE THE STRONGEST PIGLETS TAKE THE GREATER SHARE,
THOSE FURTHER DOWN THE LINE
ALSO BENEFIT FROM THE INCREASE IN MILK FLOW.
STRONG SOCIAL STRUCTURES
HELP PIGS CONQUER SO MANY ENVIRONMENTS.
BUT IN THE MOST CHALLENGING HABITATS,
THEY DRAW ON OTHER POWERS TO SURVIVE.
THERE‘S ANOTHER SECRET BEHIND PIGS‘ GLOBAL DOMINATION.
THEY MAY HAVE THE PERFECT SKILL SET
TO MOVE INTO NEW HABITATS,
BUT IN SOME OF THE WORLD‘S TOUGHEST PLACES,
THEY NEED TO ADAPT PHYSICALLY TO SURVIVE.
AND MANY PIGS HAVE DONE EXACTLY THAT.
WARTHOGS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AFRICA‘S ABUNDANT SAVANNAH
BY EXCLUSIVELY EATING GRASS.
BUT, UNLIKE OTHER GRAZERS,
PIGS DON‘T HAVE THE STOMACH TO DEAL WITH AN ALL-GRASS DIET.
SO WARTHOGS HAVE EVOLVED SPECIAL TEETH.
THEY HELP THEM REACH ONLY THE FRESHEST BLADES,
WHICH THEY GRIND DOWN INTO TINY, DIGESTIBLE PARTICLES.
THE ONLY TROUBLE IS,
WARTHOGS‘ LEGS ARE SO LONG,
THEY HAVE TO KNEEL DOWN TO EAT.
IT SEEMS A STRANGE WAY TO DINE.
SO WHY THE LONG LEGS?
AFRICA‘S SAVANNAHS MAY HAVE LOTS OF GRASS TO EAT,
BUT IT COMES AT A COST.
[LION ROARING]
AS WARTHOGS MOVED FROM FOREST TO GRASSLAND,
OTHERS FOLLOWED.
OUT HERE, THERE ARE FEW PLACES TO HIDE.
[ZEBRA BRAYING]
EACH DAY COULD BE YOUR LAST.
[SQUEALING]
WITH PREDATORS AT EVERY TURN,
A PIG ON THE PLAINS NEEDS ANY ADVANTAGE IT CAN GET.
AND THAT‘S WHERE THOSE LONG LEGS COME INTO IT.
[GRUNTING]
THE ONLY WAY TO SURVIVE THE SAVANNAH
IS TO RUN FOR YOUR LIFE.
♪
THINK PIGS ARE LAZY?
TRY ESCAPING A CHEETAH.
♪
AMAZING PHYSICAL ADAPTATIONS
ARE KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF AFRICA‘S WILD PIGS.
[GRUNT]
THEY MAY MAKE WARTHOGS LOOK STRANGE,
BUT THERE ARE FAR WEIRDER PIGS OUT THERE.
THE ISLANDS OF INDONESIA OWE THEIR EXISTENCE
TO MILLIONS OF YEARS OF VIOLENT VOLCANIC ACTIVITY.
PART OF THE ISLAND OF SULAWESI
WAS TORN FROM MAINLAND ASIA IN THE ANCIENT PAST.
THE BREAKAWAY ISLAND TOOK WITH IT ANIMAL STOWAWAYS,
WHICH HAVE SINCE EVOLVED IN TOTAL ISOLATION.
♪
THIS MINERAL SPRING, DEEP IN THE RAINFOREST,
PLAYS HOST TO A TRULY BIZARRE CAST.
THEY ARE A COMPANY OF RARE AND PECULIAR ANIMALS--
ALL OF THEM FOUND ONLY HERE ON SULAWESI.
[SQUAWKING]
BUT THERE IS ONE CREATURE THAT TRULY STEALS THE SHOW.
IT IS PERHAPS THE WEIRDEST LOOKING MAMMAL ON THE PLANET.
BABIRUSA--
THE PIG WHOSE TUSKS GROW THROUGH THE ROOF OF ITS MOUTH.
THEY SPLIT FROM OTHER PIGS
BETWEEN 22 AND 13 MILLION YEARS AGO.
AND THEIR ADAPTATIONS TO THESE ISLAND RAINFORESTS
MAKE THEM VERY DIFFERENT.
NOT ONLY ARE THEY COMPLETELY BALD,
BUT, UNLIKE ANY OTHER PIG,
THEIR PIGLETS ARE BORN IN ONES AND TWOS
RATHER THAN LARGE LITTERS.
WITH NO LARGE PREDATORS AROUND,
THERE‘S NO REASON TO RAISE MORE YOUNG THAN YOU NEED TO.
[SQUEALING]
THEN, OF COURSE, THERE ARE THOSE TUSKS.
SCIENTISTS HAVE LONG WONDERED, WHAT ARE THEY FOR?
EARLY THEORIES WERE THAT MALES USED THEM
TO HANG FROM BRANCHES WHILE SLEEPING.
OTHERS SPECULATE THAT THEY HELP PUSH THROUGH
THE DENSE RAINFOREST UNDERGROWTH.
THE MOST RECENT THEORY
IS THAT THEY PROTECT THE EYE DURING COMBAT.
POSSIBLY,
BUT BABIRUSA‘S MOST FEARSOME ENCOUNTERS
ARE AS WEIRD AS THE PIG ITSELF.
♪
BATTLES BETWEEN MALES LOOK MORE LIKE A DANCE
THAN A DEADLY STANDOFF.
♪
LIFE IN THE STEAMY JUNGLE
HAS SURELY MADE BABIRUSA THE WEIRDEST OF THE WILD PIGS.
[SQUEALING]
MILLIONS OF YEARS OF ISOLATION
HAVE SHAPED THIS PIG INTO THE STRANGEST OF CREATURES.
BUT WE‘VE TAKEN PIGS
AND ADAPTED THEM TO EVEN MORE EXTREME PLACES.
OUR OWN RELATIONSHIP WITH PIGS IS LESS THAN 10,000 YEARS OLD.
BUT IN THAT TIME, WE‘VE CREATED A PIG
THAT BARELY LOOKS LIKE A PIG AT ALL.
THIS IS SIBERIA,
THE COLDEST INHABITED PLACE ON EARTH.
WINTER TEMPERATURES FALL TO MINUS 90 DEGREES.
ONLY THE TOUGHEST BREEDS CAN WITHSTAND THE SIBERIAN WINTER.
YAKUT HORSES HAVE BEEN ESSENTIAL TO THE SURVIVAL OF LOCAL HERDERS
FOR CENTURIES.
BUT THERE‘S A NEW PLAYER ON THIS ICY STAGE.
[GRUNTING]
IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE A SHEEP,
BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE--
THIS IS A PIG.
A WOOLLY ONE.
MANGALITZAS ARE THE ULTIMATE COLD WEATHER SWINE,
BRED BY PEOPLE TO WITHSTAND SUB-ZERO TEMPERATURES.
AND WITH THE GROUND LOCKED BENEATH SNOW AND ICE
FOR MONTHS EACH YEAR,
ANIMALS NEED MORE THAN JUST A FLUFFY COAT
TO GET BY.
COLD WEATHER PIG BREEDS
HAVE RE-EVOLVED A SPECIAL PROTEIN
LOST TO WILD PIGS SOME 20 MILLION YEARS AGO.
THE PROTEIN EFFICIENTLY CONVERTS FAT INTO HEAT.
IN EFFECT,
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN ONBOARD SNOUT WARMING SYSTEM.
IT‘S YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF PIGS‘ AMAZING ADAPTABILITY.
♪
A TRAIT THAT HAS MADE THEM INDISPENSABLE TO US.
♪
PIGS ARE SO HARDY,
WE TAKE THEM EVERYWHERE WE GO.
♪
NINETY PERCENT OF PEOPLE
LIVE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY WITH PIGS.
♪
BUT WHILE SOME PIG POPULATIONS ARE BOOMING,
OTHERS AREN‘T FARING QUITE SO WELL.
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
NORTHERN INDIA IS HOME TO THE WORLD‘S RAREST PIG...
THE SHY AND SECRETIVE PYGMY HOG.
[GRUNTING]
THE CLUE IS IN THEIR NAME.
THEY‘RE THE SMALLEST PIGS THERE ARE,
STANDING JUST 8 INCHES TALL.
[GRUNTING]
THEY MAKE A LIVING
HIDING OUT IN THE DENSE ELEPHANT GRASSES OF ASSAM.
[ELEPHANT GRUMBLING]
THIS IS A REALM OF GIANTS,
BUT ONE THAT‘S GROWING EVER SMALLER.
INDIA‘S GRASSLANDS ARE UNDER THREAT.
LIVESTOCK GRAZING AND BURNING
PUTS TREMENDOUS PRESSURE ON THEIR WILD INHABITANTS.
BUT THANKFULLY,
OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH PIGS ISN‘T SOLELY FOR OUR OWN GAIN.
PEOPLE ARE STEPPING IN TO GIVE PYGMY HOGS A HELPING HAND.
JUST 20 YEARS AGO,
THE WORLD‘S SMALLEST PIG WAS THOUGHT TO BE EXTINCT.
NOW PYGMY HOGS RAISED IN CAPTIVITY
ARE BREEDING SUCCESSFULLY IN THE WILD.
♪
THESE TINY HOGLETS FIT IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND.
♪
WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM PEOPLE,
THESE SHY AND SECRETIVE ANIMALS
HAVE A FUTURE HIDDEN AMID THE GIANT GRASS.
HELPING PROTECT PIGS
IS JUST ANOTHER PART
OF OUR LONG AND UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.
AS OUR OWN SPECIES CAME TO CONQUER THE GLOBE,
PIGS HAVE BEEN THERE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
AND SOMETIMES,
PIGS USE US AS MUCH AS WE USE THEM.
HERE IN PARADISE,
THE CASTAWAY PIGS DRAW ON ALL THEIR POWERS TO GET BY.
THE TRUTH IS,
THEY‘RE NOT ACTUALLY SURVIVORS OF A SHIPWRECK.
A LOCAL COMMUNITY ON A NEIGHBORING ISLAND
MOVED THEM HERE,
KNOWING THAT THESE AMAZING ANIMALS
COULD SURVIVE BY THEMSELVES.
AND THEY‘VE DONE JUST THAT--
PARTLY BY MANIPULATING ANOTHER CREATURE...
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TOURISTS.
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THE BAHAMAS IS A WORLD-FAMOUS HOLIDAY DESTINATION.
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MILLIONS OF PEOPLE VISIT THESE ISLANDS EACH YEAR.
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AND THOSE WHO FOUND PIGS HANGING AROUND THE BEACH
SOON BEGAN FEEDING THEM.
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SOME CLEVER PIGS LEARNED THAT,
BY SWIMMING OUT TO MEET INCOMING BOATS,
THEY‘D GET FED FIRST.
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AND IT‘S TURNED THE SWIMMING PIGS OF THE BAHAMAS
INTO INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTARS.
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THEIRS IS THE ULTIMATE SUCCESS STORY,
THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHAT MAKES PIGS SO PROSPEROUS.
AMAZING SENSES, INTELLIGENCE, AND ADAPTABILITY
HAS HELPED THEM CONQUER THE PLANET.
THEY CAN SURVIVE ALMOST ANYWHERE...
EVEN PARADISE.
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NOT BAD FOR A HUMBLE PIG.
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