Photo of adorable piglet taken in Germany wins the hearts of nature lovers in S’pore

Big head smol body.

Zi Shan Kow | December 15, 2021, 03:58 PM

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A picture of a precious wild boar piglet standing in a shallow pool of mud was shared on the group "Singapore Hikers" on Dec. 14.

Almost too cute to be a wild boar

Photo by Schochie.

With more than 150 comments and 1.5k likes, many users felt that the piglet was almost too cute to be a wild boar.

The piglet's distinct light and dark brown stripes, which sets it apart from adult wild boars, reminded some of a sunflower seed, and others of a watermelon.

These stripes act as a form of camouflage for the animal, and are usually lost in the piglet's first six months.

Commenters also aptly pointed out that the piglet looked just like the Pokémon Swinub.

Here's a picture of Swinub for reference:

Image from Pokemon.com.

Cute but keep your distance

Many also cautioned others to stay away from wild boar piglets if they spot them in the the wild, and this photo may have been taken too close for comfort.

The National Parks Board (NParks) advises members of the public that while the native wild boars may appear shy, they are still wild animals that can behave unpredictably.

When encountering wild boars, it is advised to keep a respectful distance and not provoke them.

Extreme caution should be taken near piglets, as females are very protective of their young and can easily be provoked.

While they only attack if they are cornered or if they feel threatened, there have been several incidents of wild boar attacks in Singapore.

Photo taken in Germany

Though we have own fair share of photogenic wild boar piglets, this piglet was not photographed here.

The photo has been circulating online for years, and was shared on Reddit two years ago and six years ago.

It is also often meme-ed with the caption: "When I was a young warthog", in reference to Hakuna Matata, a song from The Lion King.

But this piglet is not a warthog, but more likely a wild boar.

The original photographer appears to be a Germany-based user named Schochie who uploaded this image onto a photo sharing website back in 2011.

Based on the location tag, the images were likely taken in the wildlife park found in Hanau, Germany.

The photographer also shared more photos of a similar-looking wild boar piglet, as well as an owl, a duck and a meerkat.

Photo by Schochie.

Wild boars in Singapore

Top image by Schochie.