FYI - For those who hosted Charlotte's Web Tables at SF Theaters

[Guest guest]

My friend in Colorado emailed me this about the live pigs used

in " Charlotte's Web "

 

" Beause some of you were concerned about these pigs, I'm sending

this msg I received from an animal-activist friend in New York.

Judy. "

on 1/4/07 12:43 PM, Zelda at zpenzel sent:

" D E Lowe " <delowe

Tue, 2 Jan 2007 13:53:36 +0900

Charlottes Web

 

 

What happened to the pigs used in Charlottes Web?

 

Just to inform you that all the pigs are female and are safe and

well in various sanctuaries around Australia.

 

I am fortunate enough to have two of these lovely pigs living with

me. They were about 14 weeks old when they arrived and from 5 weeks

of age they could walk on a lead, sit and stay on request and use a

litter tray.

 

From day one my education began. My only experience of pigs to that

date was at the butchers or on a plate.

 

These gentle, sensitive creatures react to kind words with

contented 'oofs' and they are very keen to interact with humans and

other animals about the place. If I speak sharply they react very

strongly, their whole body droops, head down and looking up their

eyes ask 'what have I done?' No, I don't anthropomorphise ..... I

observe and state what I see.

 

When a stranger visits the paddock they run up to greet with

gentle 'oofs' and their inquisitive noses sniff the new person.

Their habit of 'lifting' the persons knee caps is amusing to watch!

A scratch on the back or under the abdomen will send them into

raptures. The daily ritual of sunscreen to the ears is a delight as

they jostle to be first to be 'creamed'. A visit from children is a

favourite pass-time, it's difficult to tell who has the greatest

fun, the children or the pigs.

 

Their curiosity is boundless.

 

When they first were let out into the paddock they saw a nesting

goose and wanted to know what she was hiding. Their curiosity was

piqued when mother goose hissed at them and they tried to rearrange

her nest. I had to intervene for the gooses' sake. I said 'no' very

firmly. One threw a tantrum, stamping feet and shaking her head and

squealing - just like a 3 year old child. I spoke very sternly and

eventually she got the message that no means NO and she came away

from the goose. The other hung her head, looked at me, and

reluctantly moved away. I hid behind a large tree and observed -

when they thought I was gone they both tried to investigate again .

A sharp disembodied 'no' from me and they both looked around to see

where the voice came from and even though they couldn't see me they

decided they'd better leave mother goose to her business. They

trotted off to rearrange the earth around the dam.

 

As youngsters they would play ball with the dogs. When they'd had

enough of the game and the barking, the dominant pig would take the

ball, bite and stamped on it until it was flat, spit it out and with

great dignity, walk away.

 

When we work around the yard they and the dogs follow. Pigs are

great helpers ..... you fill the wheel barrow and they tip it over.

Wonderful. If you need a paddock ploughed they are your workers!

 

Although they were bred to be eaten and came from an intensive

piggery, they still have strong natural instincts.

 

I have plenty of bamboo so I cut large lengths and gave it to them

just to see what would happen. At this time they were only about 4

months old. They broke each piece down to about metre lengths and

made a nest each, very uncomfortable I should think but they enjoyed

the activity and still do.

 

When chased by two horses they ran into long grass and stood still.

The horses couldn't see them so stopped chasing.

 

I remember the day they first came into 'season' - this was the day

that our usually polite pigs refused to sit before being given their

meal and one threw a stamping, headshaking tantrum and had to sit in

the naughty corner until she calmed down. When I returned she bobbed

a token sit and therefore received her meal. There's been none of

this since, but approximately every three weeks they 'fall in love'

with the horses and follow them like love lorn souls until the mood

passes.

 

I played recorded sounds from inside a piggery. Both pigs reacted so

violently I had to turn it off. They were terrified. They stood

stiff and still, ears vertical and stiff, whites of the eyes showing

and only the eyeballs moving to see where the noise came from. They

also reacted badly when the farrier came to the horses and then

popped in to see them. He had his leather apron on and was holding

his rasp and clippers. They made the most blood chilling noises and

ran to the corner with their noses pressed right into the fencing.

They only relaxed when he scratched their backs and spoke softly to

them. They then greeted him in the usual way leaving muddy imprints

on his clean jeans. As they were 5 weeks old when taken from the

piggery, this reaction was quite a surprise to me. They must have

recalled the past.

 

They now weigh about 240kgs and live their life as naturally as

possible. Morning and evening they have a meal of pellets and

vegetables then they amble about eating grass and digging out

interesting insects or roots. When it's hot they mud bath in the dam

and then lie in the shade of a tree until it gets cooler. Contrary

to public perceptions they are clean in their habits (if you don't

count mud) and never soil their eating and sleeping areas and they

don't smell. The sun dries their output and it is used in the

compost.

 

Sadly one pig does have problems - probably due to her breeding, but

we manage this with medication.

 

Needless to say we do not eat meat ...... C Adams

 

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