PIG: merrily rooting out a live grenade

GUZZLING and arguing their way through life, pigs have often seemed the most 'human' of all farm animals to me.

Medical science obviously agrees, which is why various pig body parts are so often employed to aid human health.

Even their skin is said to be similar to ours with some pigs suffering sunburn if they stay out in the hot sun too long.

Most of today's modern breeds are descended from animals which were imported from Asia and mixed with our native wild boar.

Like other cloven-hoofed species, pigs have had a tough time of late since foot-and-mouth disease has cast a shadow over several varieties.

But just as recent swine fever blows were absorbed, so will this be.

Pig breeds are numerous and a surprisingly wide range of sizes, shapes and colours are available to provide diversity in any farm yard.

The UK's most common breed is probably the pale-skinned Large White with its heavy build, perkily erect ears, and strong jawline.

Males weigh up to 510 kilos, which is pretty heavy, while sows produce two litters each year often involving more than 20 piglets in total.

Almost as large but more vividly marked is the black and white Saddleback.

This is a much hardier breed, more frequently kept outside, with sows said to make sweeter tempered mothers than those of the Large White. However, all domesticated pigs can be aggressive and stories occasionally emerge somewhere in the world of people being attacked and killed.

As a child, I was once forced to take refuge in a tree after some pursuing pigs became angered by myself and a friend messing about in their field.

I can still remember peering down and realising with dismay how big their jaws were and how many teeth they had.

We managed to escape eventually after they lost interest and ambled off but I was always more wary of pigs after that.

Wild pigs and their sub-species can be exceptionally dangerous.

A few years ago, I read of some South American natives stumbling upon the severed hind legs of a jaguar still clamped to a tree trunk deep in the jungle.

The rest of this supreme killer had been ripped to shreds and eaten by a herd of wild pigs.

Apparently, it had tried to prey on one pig but been overpowered and slaughtered by its furious chums.

Must have been quite a battle.

Pigs are known for their inquisitiveness and powerful sense of smell, which makes them popular on the Continent for rooting out gastronomic treasures such as truffles.

However, their noses occasionally lead them into trouble and one pig caused a safety scare after unearthing a live grenade left by soldiers on Salisbury Plain.

The wandering animal apparently thought the explosive might be good to eat since it had carefully dug it free of mud before the alarm was raised. Bomb disposal experts were brought in to salvage and detonate the grenade while the pig was safely returned to its sty on nearby farmland.

It was lucky.

In effect, it saved its own bacon because it did not do anything too rash with the mystery object.