Is a Pig Smarter than a 5th Grader?

Today we’re taking a closer look at pigs. Many people think pigs are cute and funny. Some people think pigs are dirty and smelly. What do you think?

The question we want to answer today is, “Is a PIG smarter than a 5th grader?”  You probably know that there are some pretty smart animals out there! Cats and dogs learn tricks. Dolphins can solve problems and even crows can make tools to help them get food. But what about that cute, funny pig?

Did you know that some scientists think pigs are the smartest and cleanest of all the domesticated animals? (A domesticated animal is one that people keep on a farm or as a pet.) That’s right; pigs might be smarter than cats and dogs. Some researchers say pigs are even smarter than 3-year-old human children!

Pet pigs can learn lots of circus tricks. They can learn how to find food using a mirror and even how to play video games using a joystick! Check out this video of a pet pig performing tricks! The pig isn’t even a year old, but look how much it has learned!

Video credit: jakspalding

The pigs at Living History Farms might not know how to do tricks like that, but they have shown us they can be pretty smart! Every year, the baby pigs discover new ways to get out of their pens and run around the farm.

Harvey is our boar–the adult male pig on the farm. He can roll a bale of straw into his house by himself. He really likes to hide his water pan for us to find. Do you think smart pigs ever caused trouble for farmers in 1900? Tell us a story about what kinds of trouble you think Harvey could get into if we aren’t watching!