Tourists to blame for death of Bahamas’ iconic swimming pigs
Saturday, 01 Mar, 2017
0
Tourists have been accused of killing seven of the swimming pigs of Exuma in the Bahamas by giving them booze.
The islands’ government has now banned tourists from feeding the famous breed of pigs, which are one of the main attractions at Big Major Cay, nicknamed Pig Beach.
According to the the Nassau Guardian, the government’s minister of agriculture and marine resources, Wayde Nixon, is also calling for a boundary around the pigs.
Nixon told the newspaper: "The pigs were given the wrong food.
"We had the government vet in there who examined them all thoroughly. The other remaining pigs are alive and healthy and out on the beach."
The pigs have been at Big Major Cay for almost 30 years without incident, but Nixon said the government would have to regulate tourists’ interaction with them.
"Right now it’s blowing out of proportion with people, anybody bringing food there, anybody doing what they [want to] do.
"We have people coming there giving the pigs beer, rum, riding on top of them, all kind of stuff."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Clearing CSS/JS assets' cache... Please wait until this notice disappears...
Updating... Please wait...
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt