Raven

• Name: Raven
• Species: Feral Hog
• Age: 2 years old
• Weight: 300 lbs
• Sex: Male
• Special Needs: NA.
• Personality: Originally an outcast because he was a single child to Mean Mama, who all of the pigs hate.  Was chased, bullied, and injured by Macon. Eventually realized he is over 30% larger than the other boars and fought White Foot to become #1 Boar. Holds a lifelong grudge against all of the pigs that bullied him. 
• Favorite Food: Dog treats. Corn
• Family: Single child of Mean Mama-deceased (mother). Ornery (half-brother).
• Likes: Being #1 Boar and taking out his revenge on those that bullied him when he was younger. Tolerates human researchers because they made sure he could eat and kept the bullies away.
• Dislikes: Everyone.  .
• Needs: Showing early signs of Brucellosis.

Raven was a single piglet, born to Mean Mama.  Mean Mama is the largest sow and is bigger than most boars.  We knew that once Raven grew to maturity he would be massive like his father Godfather Pig.  Because he did not have any siblings, he tried to play and socialize with the other piglets, but they would not let him. Pigs have personality traits and establish cliques like humans based on their likes and dislikes.  Raven’s mother was disliked by all of the pigs because she was so mean as the #1 sow after Old Mama passed away.  Raven was always bullied by the other pigs and piglets, especially by Macon.  Even though he was bigger than Macon, he did not have the confidence to stand up to this older pig.  Macon even injured him severely by slicing the tendons in his front leg.  This crippled Raven for almost a year.  Yet, even though crippled, Raven began to show what kind of a pig he could become.  One evening a rogue boar we called the Werewolf Pig entered into the facility to breed with the sows.  This was a strong, rank, experienced wild boar, covered in long gray hair and numerous scars from battle.  Mr. Whiskers, the #1 Boar at the time, White Foot, and Macon refused to challenge this boar as he took ownership of mating the females.  This infuriated the younger and still injured Raven.  We watched as Raven growled and snorted and huffed at Whiskers and White Foot as if to be asking them why they were not challenging this interloper who was taking their mates.  You could almost hear the disappointment and anger in his voice and see it in his actions.  To our surprise, the young Raven, with barely showing tusks and still limping from Macon’s injury boldly went head-to-head with the Werewolf Pig and openly challenged him, popping his teeth and bowing up to fight.  This was surely a fight leading to raven’s death as the Werewolf Pig was not to be trifled with and Raven did not have the hardware nor the strength to fight on an injured front leg.  We think this took the Werewolf Pig by surprise and he backed down and soon left the area. This gave Raven some confidence, but it wasn’t for six more months before he had healed from his leg injury enough and gained more size that he would challenge Macon and then eventually defeating White Foot and Mr. Whiskers to become the #1 Boar today. 

To demonstrate to us that feral hogs have long memories and can carry grudges, Raven systematically punished all of the pigs that bullied him and made him an outcast. They all now move out of his way when he approaches.  He has become a massive boar and his only challenger is his half brother Ornery who is quickly growing as big as he has become.

If you decide to donate on behalf of Raven, we will take your donation and use it to try to find a cure for his disease and give other pigs a better life.