Several of Bahamas’ beloved swimming pigs were found dead last week forcing locals and government officials to implement new restrictions on visitors to Big Major Cay.
According to local media, an investigation is underway after more than half a dozen pigs died and their bodies were discarded into the ocean.
Speaking with the Nassau Guardian, pig owner Wayde Nixon speculated that some of his pigs died as a result of tourists feeding them.
The man told the newspaper about 15 of his pigs are still alive and are healthy.
The Bahamas tourism board describes the uninhabited island of Big Major Cay as the “Official Home of the Swimming Pigs” where visitors are welcome to interact with the swimming swines and apparently can feed them.
“The pigs, though feral, are exceptionally friendly, running from under the shade of the almond trees to greet visitors that bring them treats,” reads the description on the Bahamas tourism site. “They are also fed by the crews of passing yachts and vessels.”
However, that’s about to change, at least for now.
Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources V. Alfred Gray told the Guardian that the government will no longer allow the pigs to be fed by tourists and officials are working with the pig owners to develop a boundary between the animals and visitors.
“If we have boundary lines, the people will be able to take photographs and see the pigs swim,” Gray said. “But they will not be able to feed them things.”
Currently, pigs come and go as they please and are free to swim up to boats.
According to Nixon, the “Pig Beaches” have become quite popular and he and his partner are not around all the time to monitor excursion vendors and the tourists they bring.
“We have people coming there giving the pigs beer, rum, riding on top of them, all kinds of stuff.”
The cause of the pigs’ death remains unclear and the local humane society has launched an investigation.
Speaking with the Tribune, a Bahamas Humane Society (BHS) official said they are trying to determine whether the deaths were the result of an accident or if the pigs were intentionally poisoned.
“It could just be a horrible accident where they ate something poisonous,” BHS president Kim Aranha told the newspaper. “It could be malicious but I don’t really see why someone would go out of their way to hurt those lovely animals. I know there are a lot of silly sailors that go and feed them alcohol to try and get them drunk but that’s not to mistake them with the tour operators based out of Nassau who have treated them with excellent care.”
Aranha also noted to the newspaper that whatever the cause, the deaths of the pigs is “not good publicity” for the Bahamas’ economy and tourism industry.
“It’s really a mystery as to what killed these beautiful animals. I believe most of the carcasses were in the ocean and we (BHS) did act as quickly as we can,” Aranha said. “I think everyone who is an animal lover is concerned and if not, for our economy, can you imagine what impact this could have?”
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