Esther the Wonder Pig
| Species | Pig |
|---|---|
| Sex | Female |
| Born | June 1, 2012[1] |
| Died | October 18, 2023 (aged 11)[1] Campbellville, Ontario, Canada |
| Known for | Celebrity on social media[2] |
| Owners |
|
| Residence | Campbellville, Ontario, Canada |
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]
Life
[edit]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]
Media
[edit]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]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "About Esther". Esther the Wonder Pig. Archived from the original on 8 May 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ Wai, Doris (1 February 2019). "Year of the Pig 2019: Esther the Wonder Pig, Prissy and Pop and more celebrity pigstagram stars to follow if you love cute animals". South China Morning Post. Alibaba Group. Archived from the original on 5 September 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ Rozsa, Matthew (29 July 2018). "Meeting a "wonder pig" made me reconsider eating meat". Salon.com. Find.co. Archived from the original on 29 July 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ Torrella, Kenny (3 November 2023). "Can a social media "pigfluencer" turn people off bacon?". Vox. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 3 November 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ a b Porter, Miriam (12 November 2023). "Esther The Wonder Pig, A Forever Legacy". Animal Save Movement. Archived from the original on 30 November 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ Tremonti, Anna Maria (1 June 2016). "The power of a pig: How Esther The Wonder Pig is changing lives". CBC.ca. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ Tremonti, Anna Maria (1 June 2016). "June 1, 2016 full episode transcript". CBC.ca. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ Klein, Allison (14 December 2017). "These men thought they adopted a mini piglet. She became Esther the Wonder Pig, a 650-pound darling of the Internet". The Washington Post. Nash Holdings. Archived from the original on 14 December 2017. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "Pigs as pets – what to know before adopting a mini pig". British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 5 March 2024. Archived from the original on 31 January 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
Mini pigs typically weigh between 75 and 150 pounds, but can be as heavy as 200 pounds [...]
- ^ "Who We Are". Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ "'Wonder pig' behind push for Canada's first large animal CT scanner". CBC.ca. Kitchener-Waterloo: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 10 April 2018. Archived from the original on 13 April 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ "Esther the Wonder Pig fundraiser exceeds goal for large animal CT scanner". CBC.ca. Kitchener-Waterloo: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 12 July 2018. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ The Canadian Press (17 September 2018). "Esther the Wonder Pig is now cancer-free". National Post. Postmedia Network. Archived from the original on 24 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ Ahearn, Victoria (3 October 2019). "Greta Thunberg meets Canada's Esther the Wonder Pig and her sanctuary pals". Canada's National Observer. Observer Media Group. Archived from the original on 4 October 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ Moran, Padraig (16 December 2020). "Esther the Wonder Pig stayed home in 2020, and brought some much-needed joy to her fans". CBC.ca. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 16 December 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ Galloway, Matt (16 December 2020). "Wednesday December 16, 2020 Transcript". CBC.ca. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 26 June 2025. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ "Esther the Wonder Pig has died at the age of 11". CBC.ca. Kitchener-Waterloo: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 19 October 2023. Archived from the original on 21 October 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ Ennis, Lisa (1 April 2016). "Esther the Wonder Pig: Changing the World One Heart at a Time". Library Journal. Archived from the original on 25 June 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Esther the Wonder Pig: Changing the World One Heart at a Time". Publishers Weekly. PWxyz, LLC. 27 June 2016. Archived from the original on 6 July 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Happily Ever Esther: Two Men, a Wonder Pig, and Their Life-Changing Mission to Give Animals a Home". Publishers Weekly. PWxyz, LLC. 18 June 2018. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ a b "The True Adventures of Esther the Wonder Pig". Publishers Weekly. PWxyz, LLC. 18 December 2017. Archived from the original on 3 July 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ a b N'Duka, Amanda (1 March 2019). "Esther the Wonder Pig Movie In The Works At CBS Films; 'Five Feet Apart' Scribes Mikki Daughtry & Tobias Iaconis Scripting". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on 2 March 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2025.