photos show a family of wild boars organizing a cage breakout of 2 piglets, demonstrating high levels of intelligence and empathy

[Potoooooooo]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/family-wild-boars-organized-cage-095900563.html

A wild boar can be seen freeing two piglets from a trap in images captured by researchers.

The female boar can be seen strategically targeting wooden logs that blocked the doors of the trap.

Scientists say it's the first recorded instance of rescue behavior in wild boars.

 

[skepticalbip]

A female boar? Do they mean a sow or a gilt or have wild hogs gotten into sex reassignment and one of them is only half way through the change?

 

[Bomb#20]

...have wild hogs gotten into sex reassignment ... ?

Does this answer your question?

 

[Politesse]

A female boar? Do they mean a sow or a gilt or have wild hogs gotten into sex reassignment and one of them is only half way through the change?

While "boar" can be taken to mean male, it is also the general name for the species and is the appropriate way to refer to a group of boar such as the unit discussed in the article. It amuses me that you feel compelled to play sex police even on non-humans, though. Some folks are so insecure about their perceived gender!

 

[Gun Nut]

I'm happy to deflect and talk about gender-limited language (what's a group of cows and bulls called, I wonder).. As long as I can still enjoy eating bacon without feeling immoral.

 

[Politesse]

I'm happy to deflect and talk about gender-limited language (what's a group of cows and bulls called, I wonder)..

They, are, believe it or not, referred to as a singular. Not a grammatical singular, I mean that a group of boars is literally called "a singular of boars". They are also sometimes called a "sounder of boars", as are any other wild porcine assemblages. English collective animal nouns are wild.

You should feel at least a little bit guilty about the bacon. Domestic pigs are fairly similar to domestic dogs in terms of intelligence and sociality, and much closer to humans in terms of their nervous system, ability to feel pain, etc. So if being invited a great dane would give you a moment of morally uncomfortable pause, than from a rational standpoint so should eating a pig.

 

[Gun Nut]

I'm happy to deflect and talk about gender-limited language (what's a group of cows and bulls called, I wonder)..

They, are, believe it or not, referred to as a singular. Not a grammatical singular, I mean that a group of boars is literally called "a singular of boars". They are also sometimes called a "sounder of boars", as are any other wild porcine assemblages. English collective animal nouns are wild.

You should feel at least a little bit guilty about the bacon. Domestic pigs are fairly similar to domestic dogs in terms of intelligence and sociality, and much closer to humans in terms of their nervous system, ability to feel pain, etc. So if being invited a great dane would give you a moment of morally uncomfortable pause, than from a rational standpoint so should eating a pig.

Acknowledged... and my wife struggles with this. She loves pork, but passes on it 99% of the time... ok, 80%.
I, however, do not struggle with it. I think the pigs I eat have had it great....

[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wRrRWay3lE[/YOUTUBE]

We do at least marginally better than nature.

 

[Politesse]

I'm happy to deflect and talk about gender-limited language (what's a group of cows and bulls called, I wonder)..

They, are, believe it or not, referred to as a singular. Not a grammatical singular, I mean that a group of boars is literally called "a singular of boars". They are also sometimes called a "sounder of boars", as are any other wild porcine assemblages. English collective animal nouns are wild.

You should feel at least a little bit guilty about the bacon. Domestic pigs are fairly similar to domestic dogs in terms of intelligence and sociality, and much closer to humans in terms of their nervous system, ability to feel pain, etc. So if being invited a great dane would give you a moment of morally uncomfortable pause, than from a rational standpoint so should eating a pig.

Acknowledged... and my wife struggles with this. She loves pork, but passes on it 99% of the time... ok, 80%.
I, however, do not struggle with it. I think the pigs I eat have had it great....

[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wRrRWay3lE[/YOUTUBE]

We do at least marginally better than nature.

Full disclosure - I am not such a goody two-shoes as to forego pork altogether if it's served at someone's houise, part of cultural presentation, etc; I just feel sort of bad about it. Have since I was a kid and a friend got a pot-belly for a pet, crossed the lines for me in an uncomfortable way.

 

[WAB]

nm.

 

[southernhybrid]

I try to eat organically raised pigs so that I feel less guilty. Sometimes I even say a little blessing before eating the pig. It goes something like this: Blessed is the pig that has been sacrificed for human consumption, allowing us to get enough protein in our diets.

Animals eating other animals is quite common. Not sure if being ripped apart by a wild animal is any better than being brought to the slaughter house. if Temple Grandin's methods are used, the pig shouldn't know it's being sentenced to death. Too bad, that's not always the case. Of course, if the pig has been forced to live a horrible life in a small enclosure, death is probably a relief.

If I keep writing this, I may never be able to eat meat again. The secret is not to think about it too much. That's how religions works too. If you don't think about it too much, you can believe all kinds of bullshit. But, I really have digressed.