Do Pigs Eat Humans? Attack Behavior

Do pigs eat humans? You may have heard about it through several news portals about many reported cases. Is it true? Would pigs eat humans given the chance? Pigs, being so naive, it is hard to believe that they can be guilty of such monstrosity.

Pigs are loved and adored by humans for several reasons and are known to be quite genetically close to them. Pigs are calm, non-violent, and they do not pick up fights without any valid reason.

All the incidents reported on news channels about pigs eating humans may have a backstory to them.

Have you seen the movie Snatch? There is a scene where the crime boss Brick Top elaborates the insatiable appetite of pigs and their ability to devour human corpses, bones, and all in minutes.

It is not just a claim but true in every aspect. Starved pigs can be quite dangerous but can they go to the point of eating humans? Let’s know about this interesting topic some more.

Do Pigs Eat Humans?

Yes, they can. Pigs are omnivores, they eat both plants and meat. Like other animals, human bodies are composed of flesh and meat.

Pigs won’t complain or refuse to eat if they can reach for a human body. You would be surprised to hear that the flesh of humans is quite identical to the uncooked pig meat and carry similar types of parasites as well.

Pigs consume both plant and all types of body flesh from roots, leaves, and flowers, some insects, and fish.

Pigs would not say no to anything they get to eat, even if it’s poisonous. Nowadays, most pigs are raised on dairy farms for excessive milk production and meat.

Hungry meat pigs eat everything from grasses to carcasses, for instance, if a person is passed out, fainted, or had a heart attack while in the pig pen and if he stays unconscious there for too long, the chances are high, pigs will eat him without leaving a trace.

There could be several Reasons For This Behavior

First of all, pigs are not predatory in nature or carnivores and have a thing for meat. If you believe pigs have predatory behavior then include cows and other livestock members who have a similar history as pigs on farms. As per a record, about 22 people are killed each year by cows.

Most of the reported incidents happened on farms, especially when the poor animal is starved, abused, or given food of a certain type.

Most pig farmers will tell you that they do not trust adult pigs not to attack them.

If we look at the other side of the coin, if the animal is abused or starved, he will eat everything set before it without caring to know what it is.

These naive animals to be presented as evil creatures are done by farmers mostly.

Most of the people who believe that pigs and other farm animals can eat human beings are the farmers themselves.

Farmers have treated these animals badly and abused pigs by beating them, taking away newborn babies, and other cruel acts.

It is not a false claim that pigs eat humans, they do, but only if they are abused and starved.

They would not hunt for them or go to great lengths to eat human flesh, only when they are treated badly by their owners or get a chance to feast on an unconscious or dead human being.

Do Pigs Eat Human Baby?

Pigs are omnivores and opportunists, if they do not shy away from eating an adult human being, they will certainly not going to stop themselves from eating a helpless human baby.

Pigs will devour the soft human flesh in a matter of minutes.

Such an incident is so rare, no one in their right mind will leave the baby with a bunch of pigs. Pigs are also not smart enough to take on a baby, it can only happen accidentally.

Do Pigs Attack Human?

Pigs are omnivores and carnivores, they will remain peaceful if they are properly fed. They survive on plant-based food, pigs will only attack humans if they have run out of food or are hungry for a prolonged period.

Wild boars are more likely to attack humans than domestic pigs. They live in the wild and thrive on their hunt to survive.

They would not discriminate what’s coming their way rather just hunt. A 2001 thriller film, Hannibal, directed by Ridley Scott, depicted the appetite of boars in a particular scene where a group of them were seen devouring human bodies.

Domestic pigs get regular meals from their owners, so, a domestic hog to attack humans can only happen out of extreme hunger.

Pigs eat humans out of instincts, not to take revenge or act mean rather devour them to survive.

How Long it Takes For Pigs To Eat Human Body?

Pigs are heavy eaters who eat buckets of fruits in a matter of minutes. If you have observed closely, we always see them eating one thing or another.

Their habit of eating gives them the ability to chew large amounts of food in a short time.

A single pig can not finish a human body, give it fifteen fellow friends and they will devour the body within 8 minutes without leaving a trace as if nothing happened.

Pigs are quick at eating and devouring food. If a pig is given uncooked flesh to eat, it can eat about two pounds every minute.

These animals require a lot of feed and resources to raise them. A large amount of food consumption gets compensated for their fast growth.

Can a Pig Eat a Human in 8 Minutes?

Not a single pig but a group of pigs are capable of eating a human in 8 minutes. As it is mentioned earlier, it would take sixteen pigs to eat a whole 200-pound human body in the given time.

A pig should eat only 6-8 pounds of food in a day, so, a single hog can not take on a mature human in a day, let alone within a few minutes. However, a pig can finish a baby in single eating.

Incidents of Pigs Eating Humans

It is likely you already have heard a few incidents where pigs ate human beings. This phenomenon of pigs eating humans is not unheard of, many such unfortunate incidents occurred where pigs ate live humans.

• A Russian 56-year-old pig farmer was believed to be eaten by her own pigs. She collapsed during an epileptic fit while feeding the pigs. Hungry pigs availed the opportunity and bit into her face, ears, and shoulders as she lay unconscious on the floor.
• In 2015, a similar incident happened where a Romanian farmer, who suffered a heart attack was bitten and eaten by the hungry pigs.
• In 2014, a Chinese toddler crawled into a pig pen and was killed and partially eaten by the Iberian pigs.
• In 2012, a farmer named Terry Vance Garner, 69 were eaten by the pigs with only his dentures and pieces of his body remaining in the pigpen.
• Serial killers benefited from the endless hunger of pigs, a Canadian pig farmer named Robert Pickton killed 49 women from 1983 to 2001 and believed to had fed them to the pigs.
• A Tasmanian man was found guilty of bludgeoning the body of his victim and then feeding it to pigs.

All these and many other incidents are gruesome and not very pleasant to hear. These incidents are likely to happen for several reasons as discussed above.

Summing Up

Pigs can be quite aggressive and known to eat anything. Therefore, it is advised to be careful around pigs as they are animals, after all that can act against you at any time. Even if they can eat humans given the opportunity that does mean we should stop caring for these animals.