It’s National Pig Day, observed on March 1 every year in the United States to celebrate one of the most understated and intelligent animals – the pig. Derided in most cultures for being filthy and equated with greed, pigs have been perceived rather unfairly. But a teacher from Lubbock, Texas wanted the world to know how awesome pigs really are. So Ellen Stanley, along with her sister Mary Lynne Rave, founded the National Pig Day in 1972 to give pigs all the credit that is due. So if you thought the pig is just another farm creature known for being sloppy and fat, you are wrong. There are many reasons to love the pig. Esther The Wonder Pig Beats Breast Cancer! Porky On The Road To Recovery After Life-Saving Surgery.

1 Pigs are Smarter Than Dogs

Pigs are probably one of the smartest animals out there. They are known to beat a three-year-old human child at cognitive tests and are even smarter than dogs! According to PETA, they are also easier to train than pooches and cats. Pigs are also highly sentient beings who experience fear, pain, loneliness and grief. Happy National Pig Day 2019: Piglet From Winnie-the-Pooh to Porky Pig to Babe, 8 Adorable Pop Culture Pigs.

2 Pigs are Cleaner Than Dogs

That’s right! If you only knew how clean pigs are, never will you ever use the terms “filthy” with “pigs” together. In fact, pigs are quite hygiene conscious, even more so than dogs. But since they are bred in unhygienic conditions, they don’t have much of a choice but to put up with the muck.

3 Pigs are Naturally Lean

Pigs are shown as roly-poly portly creatures who love to eat all the time. But they are naturally lean. They become fat only when they are force-fed in farms to increase their weight.

4 Pigs are Matriarchs

Research on social structures in pigs has found that they are matriarchal creatures. In the wild, the females will head the herd. Male pigs are not permanently associated with herds, since they are mostly solitary creatures.

5 Pigs See in Colour and Have Spectacular Vision

Most animals see the world in shades of grey, but pigs are believed to see colour. According to a study in 1998, there is the presence of rods and cones in the eyes of pigs. They also have a panoramic 310-degree vision and binocular vision of 35-50 degrees.

Love them or loathe them, whatever the case, these cuddly animals are one of the most sentient ones out there and are more intelligent that what we would give them credit for. They are cognitively complex, emotional and gentle animals who’ve been wrong by all the negative labels we give them.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 01, 2019 06:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).