Peppa and Leopold
Two lucky pigs
From the perspective of an Aiderbichler
(written by Gisela Pschenitschnig)
The fascination for pigs is undisputed. The large pig palace at Gut Aiderbichl’s animal visitor centre in Henndorf is a magnet for many visitors. There they are: large domestic pigs, small pot-bellied pigs, pigs that used to live in fattening farms, experimental pigs and pigs that are said to have been playmates of other animals and also those that were kept for therapeutic purposes, such as our Mrs Piggy and her son Wutz.
Peppa and Leopold have been living at Gut Aiderbichl Iffeldorf’s animal visitor centre for a few weeks now. Peppa was born as a runt and Leopold was raffled off as a suckling pig at a poultry market. Both were saved from certain death thanks to attentive and animal-loving people.
Peppa, a German noble pig
As soon as she was born, it was clear that Peppa was more dead than alive. Born in a fattening farm, she was then taken over by an animal-loving lady, but became stronger and also grew.
Now Peppa had grown too big and couldn’t stay with her rescuer. The neighbours, where Peppa had been born, always looked suspiciously and were not very happy about the whole situation.
Peppa, however, didn’t care about the nagging. She was happy as a lark and content with her saved life.
Love for Peppa the pig won out. Gut Aiderbichl Iffeldorf had room for Peppa, and there she now lives happily, has been vaccinated and examined. Everything is fine. Her new friend, by the way, is a few weeks younger than Peppa and is called …
Leopold
Eber Leopold was discovered at a poultry market. He himself was on display there and was to be raffled off. The little boar was raffled off, would have been fed for a few months and then slaughtered.
In spite of everything, Leopold was bought for around €250.00 and escaped slaughter. He has been castrated and we have the impression that Leopold is quite happy among all the other pigs at the animal visitor centre in Iffeldorf. In any case, he only has eyes for his Peppa.
“Jeez guys, that was all elendig bad. The craziest thing was wellthat I was exhibited as a pig at a poultry market. And I was to be raffled off. What would have happened to me? I would probably have ended up as a suckling pig at some barbecue! Not even imaginable.
You know guys, we pigs are highly intelligent animals. Does anyone ever think about that? We are at least as smart as the great apes and therefore as smart as humans. But who wants to believe that? Animals and clever.
We pigs understand our name, we rejoice, and we can suffer. When we suffer, we get loud – these are the situations where no one can hear a word we say, because our screaming and whining drowns out everything.
I understood that it was about me, to put it in good Bavarian “a real G’riss“. Well, I’m glad dear people saved my pig’s life. Honestly!“
I don't think I would find it difficult to live among animals. They are so quiet and frugal. I can spend a long time watching them. They don't toil, they don't moan about how badly off they are. (...) None of them has a reputation to lose, none of them is unhappy about this world.
– Walt Whitman, US-American poet 1819-1892
Peppa and Leopold shouldenjoy a long, long, happy and healthy life at Gut Aiderbichl. Yours sincerely, Gisela
