They Had No Clue They'd Find THIS Inside A Wild Hog's Body

#1

When ranchers in Morgan Hill, CA shot and cut open a wild hog, they realized what they had in front of them was much more than your average swine. The pig's insides were a cotton-candy blue color.

#2

A writer named GlendiTEK posted the photos of the fluorescent pig over on the website ArtBell.

GlendiTEK, who claims he is a relative of the California ranchers who found the pig, says that the animal is healthy and normal in every wayexcept for its blue-colored colored fat, which runs throughout its entire body.

#3

The farmers are unsure what caused the odd-colored fat, but plan on sending samples to scientists at UC Davis to try and better understand what contributed to the otherworldly hue.

#4

Why is this pig blue? Is the meat safe to eat? Observers seem to agree that it could be one of several things. Some speculated that the pig may have been consuming chemicals containing blue dye, that the coloration may be due to bacterial contamination, or that it may be caused by a genetic defect. So far, the most popular answer is that the animal had been eating something laced with rat poison.

#5

In an article published by UC Davis, researchers explained that wildlife in California are often exposed to anticoagulant rodenticide (AR) through animals that have the most direct contact with it: rats, mice, and squirrels.

"Although uncommon, some AR baits contain a dye that causes a marked color change of fat and tissues in animals after ingestion," the article stated, displaying a picture of blue pig fat similar to the one seen in GlendilTEK's photos.

AR is extremely toxic, even to animals it was not designed to kill. The effects of rodent poison are specific to the species, and even large animals like dogs can still die from excessive AR consumption. With animals like pigs, liver damage and other health issues are expected.

#6

Another hunter from Morgan Hill commented that AR is commonly left out for ground squirrels. They warned emphatically against eating the meat.

Sure enough, GlendilTEK later reported that local predators avoided the pig with the blue fat.

"Have not heard back on the results, but have let the carcass sit for about a day, no animals seem to touch it or try to eat it which was interesting," GlendilTEK posted on Reddit. "Also, they reached out to there [sic] neighbors and no one mentioned any dying of food, but I will ask them if they will ask specifically about it. Lastly, they do have some old mercury mine shafts on the ranch, but those are filled in. They have also shot wild pigs before on their property and they have not been blue."

#7

Other, more amusing theories include a constant supply of water from a portable toilet, or as always, the involvement of aliens. OutdoorHub has reached out to wildlife officials in California for additional information.

What do you think caused the blue coloration? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.