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Mammals page 5

Animal Stories: Pigs are sometimes said to be fairly intelligent. A much more obvious trait, however, is their temperament. It is often aggressive and belligerent, and, armed with their large canine teeth, pigs can be formidable adversaries. Sows will protect their young with ferocious energy and large males I've seen have generally attacked anything that ventures too close. More than once, I've had to bypass a pig corral instead of cutting across because of their unpredictable nature. Feral pigs have become a problem in some areas, where their destructive feeding habits keep seedlings from growing, or sometimes destroy sizable areas of vegetation. The feral pigs often have longer, darker hair than their domestic cousins and look a little more like European wild boars than the fat, pink pigs found on farms. A related species, the peccary, or javelina, of the southwestern U.S., roams in large family groups. Although the young are cute, and the adults are not particularly large, they can also be dangerous if cornered, using their large teeth as weapons.


Pig (zoo)



Potbellied Pig (zoo)



Feral Pig (Myakka River State Park, Florida)



Warthogs (zoo)



Llama (zoo)



Dromedaries (zoo)



Bactrian Camel (zoo)



Giraffe (zoo)



Giraffe (captive at Silver Springs, Florida)



Giraffe (captive at Silver Springs, Florida)



Giraffe (zoo)

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