Pigs often get an unfair, bad rap and are portrayed as dirty, dense, lazy animals. However, these descriptions can’t be further from the truth.
Pigs are actually very smart and clean, and they love to play.
Sadly, humans exploit these intelligent animals by not only breeding them at an industrial scale for food1 but also by using them in cruel and unnecessary experiments.
Pigs in NZ have been used to:
1. Research ways to sustain, enhance and make more money for the animal agriculture industry.
Examples include research into:
- Maximising their weight gain.
- Decreasing feeding costs.
- Investigating how painful tail-docking is.
- Reviewing how they cope with different animal husbandry methods.
- Finding the most "humane" or "efficient" ways of killing (including gassing) pigs.
2. Investigate methods of controlling unwanted wild pigs.
Examples include:
- Studying the spread of diseases by wild pigs.
- Investigating ways of killing wild pigs.
3. Conduct forensic studies (i.e., studying blood-spatter patterns from gunshot wounds in live pigs).
4. Try and model humans in medical research relating to digestion, hearts problems, eye infections, nicotine injections and wound healing.
5. Teach students surgery skills and techniques.
6. Investigate xenotransplantation (transplanting organs, tissues, or cells from one species to another). I.e., pigs had had cells from their pancreas "harvested" and transplanted into human patients with diabetes.
Learn more about xenotransplantation here.
7. Conduct basic biological research into how intestines move, stomach muscles react to damage, oxygen influences gut microbes and how hearts function.
Auckland Island Pigs
NZ's renowned Auckland Island Pigs have been exploited for science in many ways. These pigs were discovered on a remote island and became desirable research subjects as they hadn’t been exposed to the pathogens and diseases that other pigs in non-isolated areas had.
Learn more about how they have been used here.
Places that use pigs for science in NZ include private companies, universities, and crown research institutes.
Pigs used for science in NZ are sourced from breeding units, commercial sources and farms, which can include teaching farms/facilities run by universities or other institutes.
Discover real-life examples of how pigs have been used in NZ below!
Measuring brain response to tail-docking
Piglets were bought at one to fifteen days old and anaesthetised. Their tails were cut off while measuring brain activity, and then they were killed.
Testing ways of injecting nicotine
Pigs were anaesthetised and injected with nicotine through different methods. Blood samples were taken for two hours before the pigs were killed.
Comparing the digestion of egg white in different forms
Pigs were acclimated to eating egg whites of different textures. After being deprived of water for two hours, they were fed again and then killed in intervals over six hours.
Testing feed supplements for their performance
Pigs were fed diets with different organic acids added. At a specific weight, they were slaughtered to collect samples.
Studying the digestion of kiwifruit
Pigs were surgically fitted with an outside access to their intestine. Faeces were collected through anal stimulation, and samples were taken from the intestine for six-hour periods.
Studying the digestion of protein through serial slaughter
Ninety young pigs were housed individually for 13 days; their diet contained kiwi fruit and beef. All were killed to be dissected.
Testing cholesterol absorption from baby formula
One-week-old piglets were kept in metabolic crates and fed baby formula for three weeks. They were then anaesthetised and killed to be dissected.
Testing the accuracy of heart activity measurements
Pigs were anaesthetised, their open chests were equipped with electrodes and closed again. After measurements, the hearts were stopped, images were taken, and the hearts were removed.
Testing how to gas piglets
Piglets were gassed plastic box to record their behaviour and vital signs.
Trialling a method to measure intestine fermentation
Young pigs were fed a test diet for two weeks while confined in metabolic chambers. After that, they were killed with an anaesthetic injected into the heart.
Testing how cooking affects beef digestion
Pigs were fed ground beef for three days, either raw or cooked. They were then killed to cut out a part of their intestine.
Studying sow and piglet behaviour in crates and pens
Sows and their newborn piglets were put in tightly confined crates or pens with slightly more room and their behaviour was observed.
Trialing xenotransplantation for diabetes
Four pigs were used to harvest cells for transplantation into humans.
Testing if pigs spread kauri tree sickness
A group of pigs was fed infected kauri roots for one day, and their faeces were collected for a week. Over 270 wild pigs were shot, and their stomach contents was sampled.
Testing the effect of pain killers during tail docking
Piglets were anaesthetised and their tails were removed using different methods. During these procedures, the heart and brain activity of the pigs were measured.
Studying the inner functions of the heart
Pigs were anaesthetised and their chests were cut open. Electrodes were inserted into their hearts so measurements could be taken before their hearts were removed.
