National Pig Day

March 1st is National Pig Day. They're social and more intelligent than most people think. They can be used as pets, especially certain breeds. The pig is likely the most numerous mammal on the planet. It's estimated there's about a billion pigs on earth at any given time, and pig farming has become big business. 

Pigs originated in Eurasia and Africa. Early Spanish explorers brought pigs to the American continent. There's some evidence they may have been domesticated as early as 12,000 B.C. and were certainly around in ancient societies.

Pigs are omnivores and consume a great variety of foods, just like humans. They are like humans in other ways, too and are often used for medical research. A range of parasites and diseases affect them, and many of these can be transferred to humans. They have an acute sense of smell and use their snouts for digging and finding food. At one time their bristles were used for paint brushes. And, of course, they furnish meat to much of the world.

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