World's oldest pig is a Calgarian

Friday, December 5, 2014

Ernestine, the shy, cuddly, Vietnamese potbellied pig who turned 23 in July now holds the Guinness World Record for oldest pig.

The 70-pound porker belongs to Calgary couple Jude and Dan King and their daughters, Morgan and Rhiannon. The Guinness World Records website says Ernestine was born on July 17, 1991, to breeder Judy Caron. Ernestine was first sold to another family, but was returned after they complained about the loud noises she made when picked up, "a common trait among many pigs, who are scared of heights" the Guinness website says. The Kings, who had been looking for a pet pig, bought Ernestine when she was three months old and since then she has been part of the family. Caron told the Kings to expect Ernestine to live about 12 years, which she's now nearly doubled. The average life expectancy for a potbellied pig is 15 to 20 years.

"Well, she knows she's a big deal," Jude King told CBC News. "She gets a few extra grapes and raspberries, you know, just because she's old."

Ernestine breaks the world record formerly held by "Pig," a 21-year-old pig from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. BP