Washing Up Before Pigging Out

     Some Wild Boar like to wash certain foods before they will eat them. A study showed wild pigs in a zoo would often bring dirty apple chunks down to the stream to wash them off before eating them. Study also showed that pigs know when their food is too dirty too eat, so they will take the time to wash it before digging in. This discovery could help change the way some people see pigs. Despite pigs reputations for selfish acts and dirtiness, they’re actually thoughtful and focused animals.
     Pigs aren’t the only animals that clean their food in water before eating it. Raccoons, birds, and monkeys all do this too. But, not all these animals are truly washing their food like the pig does. To prove this study, researchers gave pigs a clean cut up apple and an apple cut up covered in sand. As research showed, the pig picked up the dirty apple and carried it to the stream to clean it off before eating both of the apples. 
     Pigs are known for rolling around in their own feces and mud, so why would they take the time to wash off their food? Researchers assume they might not like the taste or texture of sand on their food. But, it could also be to protect there teeth. Maybe this new finding can help change the way people view pigs and can assist to helping the pigs from becoming extinct. More than 15 pig species are endangered, some even extinct in the wild.

Maybe "you eat like a pig" isn't so bad afterall