meanwhile...

Catching up on some of the pig stories of the year so far:

Pigs down plane

Flatulent pigs caused an emergency landing when a flight from London to South Africa was forced to turn back because its fire alarms went off. "The collective heat and methane that 72 pigs gave off caused our alarms in the hold to activate," a spokesman explained. The prize stud pigs were being flown out for breeding.

Pigs on the run

Five bad-tempered pigs, including three wild boar, were captured in New York after a chase by lasso-wielding police. How the pigs got there was not explained.

Sensitive swine

An Australian psychologist has claimed that patting a pig on the back, or scratching it affectionately behind the ear, is likely to make it produce more offspring. Pigs are particularly sensitive, he said, and should not be slapped on the rump.

Porcine musical tastes

Anath Patwardhan, a farmer in India, has discovered that playing Michael Jackson songs frightens wild pigs away from attacking his crops. He used to beat drums to scare them away but claims Jackson works better.

Pig tragedy

About 1,200 pigs were killed in a fire in Japan, the biggest pig disaster of the year.

Amorous swine

A pot-bellied pig called Chi-Chi caused $100 worth of damage when it tried to make love to a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Chi-Chi's owner then abandoned him, leaving him liable to castration as an unwanted stray, but local residents raised $300 to hire the pig a lawyer before they agreed that castration was indeed the best solution.

Pig banned

A pet pig has been banned from the New Forest after attacking walkers and riders there.

Unwanted pot-bellies

The RSPCA has expressed concern at a large increase in the number of pet pot-bellied pigs abandoned this year.

Pig tragedy 2

In the hot weather in July, two people in France were suffocated by fumes while trying to clean a liquid pig-manure pit.

Pig popularity waning

The Ark, a publication for breeders of rare farm animals, laments the current lack of interest in pigs among the landed gentry. "Once there was a strong link between the aristocracy and swine," says the report. "That link has now been stretched to breaking point."

Beware of the pig

The owners of Traquair House, on the Tweed, are reported to be looking for a retailer of pig muzzles after two of their pigs bit a gardener.