Destructive human behavior may be poisoning the beautiful wildlife in the Bahamas. Why does the behavior of the few have to ruin experiences for the majority?
If you happen to go, please set a good example.
By Leslie Josephs on qz.com
The swimming pigs of the Bahamas are a famous and popular tourist attraction. But at least seven of the animals suddenly died and it seems food poisoning may be to blame.
“The pigs were given the wrong food,” Wayde Nixon, an owner of one of the pigs, told the Nassau Guardian. About 15 are said to still be alive.
The swimming pigs, which freely roam on the uninhabited island of Big Major Cay in Exuma, are popular with tourists. Recent visitors included comedian Amy Schumer and Donald Trump Jr., the US president’s son. The attraction to the friendly animals is understandable. Even the Bahamas’ Ministry of Tourism touts its role in promoting the island of pigs. “We’ve already introduced thousands of visitors to ‘Pig Beach’, and we look forward to welcoming thousands more in the years to come,” it says on its website.
It isn’t clear how the animals got to the island, but the local government says popular lore says the pigs swam to safety after a shipwreck, or were meant to be a meal for sailors that had dropped them off there.
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