The Independent is reporting that several of the Bahamas' famous swimming pigs have died. Seven of the twenty two pigs in beachside colony were found dead in the water after tourists allegedly fed them junk food and alcohol. While local officials have yet to give an official cause of death, Wade Nixon, the pigs owner, said the tragedy was caused as a direct result of the pigs being fed the wrong food. The official investigation is on going.
“We had the government vet in there [who] examined them all thoroughly," Nixon informed The Nassau Guardian about the upsetting situation. "He gave them shots, he gave them medicine, and I was there and I worked with them for three days straight. We had them pigs there almost 30 years, and never has this happened before, but now we are going to have to regulate it."
Nixon spoke about how the situation on the uninhabited island has changed recently. He brought the pigs to the Great Exuma Island in the Bahamas many years ago and they've lived there largely without incident. Now, though, tourists have been flocking to meet the swimming pigs, which might be endangering them. “Right now it’s blowing out of proportion with people, anybody, bringing food there, anybody doing what they [want to] do," Nixon said. "We have people coming there giving the pigs beer, rum, riding on top of them, all kinds of stuff.”
Cosmopolitan reports that "because of this heartbreaking incident, officials now state that new regulations will be put into place that will prevent tourists from being able to feed them." Hopefully these new regulations will keep these happy, peaceful swimming pigs safe and healthy. We'd hate to hear about any more preventable deaths. These pigs are too sweet to come to any harm.
If you haven't heard of the famous swimming pigs, here are some amazing photos from their Instagram account: