Sad news out of the Bahamas: several pigs from the islands’ famed colony of swimmers have died after a group of tourists allegedly fed them alcohol and junk food, according to the Independent.
Seven of the 20-plus pigs were found floating dead near the Exuma Cays last week. Approximately 15 remain alive.
Wayde Nixon, one of the pig’s owners, spoke to the Nassau Guardian.
“The pigs were given the wrong food,” Nixon said. “We had the government vet in there [who] examined them all thoroughly. He gave them shots, he gave them medicine, and I was there and I worked with them for three days straight. We had them pigs there almost 30 years, and never has this happened before, but now we are going to have to regulate it.
“Right now it’s blowing out of proportion with people, anybody, bringing food there, anybody doing what they [want to] do. We have people coming there giving the pigs beer, rum, riding on top of them, all kinds of stuff.”
The pigs, known for their friendliness, have peacefully coexisted with tourists for years.
“It’s really a mystery,” president of the Bahamas Humane Society Kim Aranha told the Star. “It could just be a horrible accident where they ate something poisonous. It could be malicious but I don’t really see why someone would go out of their way to hurt those lovely animals.”
It appears officials will now put regulations in place to restrict visitors’ ability to interact with—and feed—the pigs.
