Dear Bahamas Tourists: Please Don't Feed the Swimming Pigs

Big Major Cay is an uninhabited island in the Bahamas — except for its famous colony of swimming pigs, a major tourist attraction that's become a staple of the Exuma Islands, where Big Major Cay (aka. Pig Beach), is located. But, last weekend, tragedy struck when almost half the colony's population were discovered to be dead and washing out to sea.

According to an article by The Washington Post, the Bahamian government brought in veterinarians to examine the pigs and collect samples — they've yet to announce the results of the lab tests — and early investigations did not identify a specific cause of death. While no official conclusion has been reached as of this writing, there are several theories emerging. Bahamian Wayde Nixon, who is credited with bringing the pigs to Big Major Cay 30 years ago, believes tourists are responsible for killing the pigs by feeding them junk food and alcoholic beverages. But Bahamas Humane Society president Kim Aranha was not as quick to make accusations, believing it could have been an accident if multiple pigs happened to eat the same poisonous plant.

H/T: The Washington Post

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