Wild Pig With Fluorescent Blue Fat Discovered In California

After being posted online, the photo of a pig with freaky blue fat has successfully left the people of the internet in awe and with good reason.

Having hit over 1 million views, the image that was posted by someone with the username GlendilTEK, has sparked a hefty discussion in the comment section as to why the pig’s fat has such a bright blue colour.

The photo of the pig that was shot on a Morgan Hill ranch in California was titled “Weird Pig”, by GlendilTEK. He mentioned on Reddit that it was a wild pig, and not one raised by his in-laws, the owners of the ranch.

“[…] my in-laws live on a ranch in Morgan Hill, California and they shot a wild pig on it. They thought it was a normal pig until they cut it open. When they cut into the pig they found that the fat on the pig was a fluorescent blue.” explained GlendilTEK.

According to GlendilTEK no one could find a good explanation as to why the pig’s fat was blue, since everything else about it – the blood, the meat, the internal organs, etc. – seemed to be normal and healthy looking. The bright blue fat was the only abnormal thing about the pig.

Old mercury mines can be found in the area, although they have been closed down. GlendilTEK adds in his post that copper poisoning can often lead to blue pigmentation, but has no idea whether this is the primary cause of what led to the pig’s fat to turn blue. A sample of the pig’s fat will be sent to UC Davis in order to be analysed by experts.

After the photos went viral, the spokesperson for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Mr. Andrew Hugan issued a statement in which he said that there have been other previous cases in which wild pigs have suffered from similar blue pigmentation of their internal organs. Supposedly the discolouration can occur when animals consume foods or even chemicals that are contaminated with a blue colouring agent, Hugan says.

Wild pigs are very likely to eat different types of pesticides which have been used by farmers, and that can cause discolouration of the pig fat. Experts from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife recommend that if they come in contact with an animal of this sort, people should not eat it but rather try and dispose of it.

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