Guinness World Records 2018

ANIMALS

LARGEST WARTHOG

The common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) is native to much of sub-

Saharan Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and South Africa. Adult

males weigh up to 150 kg (330 lb), with females as much as 15% lighter, and

boast a head-and-body length of up to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in). Although a fierce

fighter – especially during mating season – the warthog’s primary method

of defence against predators such as lions and crocodiles is a hurried exit.

SMALLEST DOMESTIC PIG

With a name that means “fat and

round” in Maori, the kunekune pig

comes from New Zealand, where it is

thought to have arrived from Asia

via 19th-century trading ships and

whalers. Adults stand as little as

48 cm (18.8 in) at the shoulder

and can weigh a mere 60 kg

(132 lb). They were widely

hunted, and by the late

1970s the numbers of

purebred kunekune

had dropped to

as low as 50. A breeding

programme helped to save

the species from extinction.

Adult domestic pigs can reach

speeds of 11 mph (17.7 km/h)

Approximate number

of domestic pigs in

the world today Species of wild pig alive today

The prehistoric wild pig Kubanochoerus

possessed a long single brow-horn in the

male, just like a unicorn

2 billion

19

Big Major Cay in The Bahamas

is home to wild pigs who greet

tourists by swimming out to

visiting boats

HAIRIEST DOMESTIC PIG

The Mangalitsa (aka Mangalitza or Mangalica) breed of domestic pig (S. scrofa)

has a long, hairy coat that resembles a sheep’s fleece. Originating in Hungary in

the 1830s, it is a four-way crossbreed of the European wild boar, the Serbian

Šumadija breed and two domestic pigs. It comes in three types – blonde, red

and swallow-bellied – and is prized for its succulent meat. The only other pig

known to have similar-length hair, the Lincolnshire Curly Coat, is now extinct.

Smallest African river hog
The brightly furred red river hog (Potamochoerus
porcus) is native to rainforests and swamps in
central and western Africa, especially Guinea
and the Congo. Adult males weigh 45–120 kg
(99–264 lb), measure 100–145 cm (39–57 in) long
and stand 55–80 cm (21–31 in) at the shoulder. The
red river hog is also notable for its unexpectedly
mellifluous and tuneful vocalizations.

Oldest pig ever
Born on 17 Jul 1991, a pot-bellied pig (S. scrofa
domesticus) named Ernestine was aged 23 years
76 days when she passed away on 1 Oct 2014.
She lived with her owners Jude and Dan King
in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Rarest wild boar
The Visayan warty pig (S. cebifrons) is known
with certainty to exist only on Negros and Panay,
two of the Visayan Islands in the Philippines.
Its fragmented population has decreased by
around 80% in recent years, and the species

has disappeared from around 95% of its former

distribution range. The IUCN categorizes the

Visayan warty pig as “Critically Endangered”.

Highest jump by a pig

Pigs might not fly, but a pot-bellied pig called

Kotetsu did leap 70 cm (2 ft 3.5 in) into the air

at the Mokumoku Tedsukuri Farm in Mie, Japan,

on 22 Aug 2004. The 18-month-old Kotetsu

had been trained by Makoto Ieki (JPN).

The longest dive by a pig is 3.31 m (10 ft 10 in),

by Miss Piggy, owned by Tom Vandeleur (AUS).

She leapt into a 86.5-cm-deep (34-in) pool at

the Royal Darwin Show in Darwin, Australia,

on 22 Jul 2005.

Most cloned pigs born in one litter

On 5 Mar 2000, five piglets named Millie, Christa,

Alexis, Carrel and Dotcom were born as a

result of a cloning procedure known as nuclear

transfer. They were created by PPL Therapeutics

Plc – the company that created Dolly the cloned

sheep in 1996 – in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA.

First bioluminescent pigs

In 2005, a team from Taiwan University’s

Department of Animal Science and Technology

added DNA from bioluminescent jellyfish to

approximately 265 pig embryos, which were

then implanted into eight sows. Three male

bioluminescent piglets were born. Their skin and

internal organs have a greenish tinge, which

becomes a torch-like glow if blue light is shone

on them in the dark. Stem cells taken from them

will be used to trace human diseases, as the

green-glowing protein that the pigs produce

can be readily observed without the need for

biopsies or invasive tests.

First documented animal execution

In the early medieval period, animals such as

dogs, cows, horses and pigs could be brought

before a judge if suspected of a capital offence.

In 1266, a pig was tried and burned for the crime

of eating a child. The execution took place in

Fontenay-aux-Roses, France, overseen by

the monks of St Genevieve.