Epigraph: We didn’t plan to have pigs!
In August-September, a young, skinny piglet started visiting our farm. He would hang around for a while, looking rather curious. It took us some time to track down his owners, and we eventually discovered that the piglet had escaped from a nearby farm. For months, he had been living in the forest, but as food became scarce, he decided to seek help—and he found us.
We contacted his previous owner, who surprisingly didn’t mind the pig staying with us. “If he’s happy, I’m happy for him,” they said. At the time, his name was Copain, but we decided to rename him “Pumba” because he looked exactly like Pumba from The Lion King.
From the beginning, Pumba was eager to make friends. He tried especially hard with the horses, but they weren’t too keen on his company. The only ones who truly appreciated him were the goat kids. As Pumba grew, it became clear he needed a companion of his own kind.
In September 2024, Pumba disappeared. We searched everywhere, but there was no sign of him. A few days later, the owner of a neighboring farm contacted us—they had found Pumba sitting quietly by their pig enclosure, refusing to move or eat. Inside that enclosure were two other pigs.
We tried to bring Pumba home, but convincing a 300-pound pig to move is no easy task! A week later, Pumba returned—but not alone. The two pigs from the neighboring farm broke out of their enclosure and followed Pumba to our farm.
However, the situation was tense. These two new pigs—a male and a female—showed aggression toward Pumba, forcing us to separate them. Pumba spent his days sitting near their enclosure, longing to befriend them. He grew thinner and weaker, which had us very concerned.
Then, something tragic happened. The other male pig suddenly passed away. We were devastated and confused. Was it due to a pre-existing condition, stress, or a change in diet? We couldn’t find any answers.
The female pig, grieving her companion’s loss, initially kept her distance from Pumba. But after a few days, something shifted—she finally let him approach. From that moment on, they became inseparable.
To keep with the Lion King theme, we named his new friend “Timona.”
Now, Pumba and Timona are the best of friends. They sometimes argue over treats, but overall get along greatly.
And that's how Pumba conquered the heart of his beloved, and we ended up with pigs on the farm—completely unplanned, but so worth it!