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Esther the Wonder Pig
Famous pig (2012–2023) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Esther the Wonder Pig (2012 – 2023) was a pet pig who gained an online following. She is also known for inspiring conversations about veganism and factory farming.[3][4][5]
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Life
Esther was born at a commercial pig farm on June 1, 2012.[5][1] In 2012, Esther was sold mistakenly as a miniature pig to her new owners, Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter.[6][7][8] In the following two years, Esther unexpectedly grew to a weight of 600 pounds (272 kg), which is far greater than the typical weight of a miniature pig.[9] Due to her surprisingly large size, she earned the nickname "The Wonder Pig".[1] In 2014, the owners founded an animal sanctuary, Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary, named after Esther.[10] In 2018, the owners raised money for a CT scanner big enough to scan Esther.[11][12] Later in 2018, Esther was diagnosed with breast cancer and stomach ulcer. Following surgery, she was declared cancer-free.[13] In August 2019, she had a bone infection that resulted in a toe amputation. In October 2019, she met Greta Thunberg.[14] Esther spent most of 2018 and 2019 at the Ontario Veterinary College.[15][16] Esther died in her sleep on October 18, 2023.[17]
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Media
A book, Esther the Wonder Pig: Changing the World One Heart at a Time, was released in 2016. Library Journal said the book is "[a] fun read with an important message about animal cruelty."[18] Publishers Weekly called the book "[f]unny, entertaining, enlightening, and touching [...]".[19] A sequel book, Happily Ever Esther: Two Men, a Wonder Pig, and Their Life-Changing Mission to Give Animals a Home, was released in 2018. Publishers Weekly said the book has the same jovial tone as the first book and recommended it to the fans of the Wonder Pig franchise.[20] A picture book, The True Adventures of Esther the Wonder Pig, was also released in 2018. Publishers Weekly wrote: "An Esther-goes-missing subplot in the final pages feels unnecessary—there’s plenty of narrative fodder in a pig who takes over a family."[21] All three books appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list.[22] All books were authored by Steve Jenkins, Derek Walter, and Caprice Crane.[19][20][21]
In 2019, a film adaptation was announced. CBS Films hired Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis to write the screenplay and The Donners' Company was producing the film.[22]
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See also
References
External links
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