Pigs are among the most cognitively complex domesticated animals, with research demonstrating problem-solving, social learning, and emotional contagion that has profound welfare implications.
Pig intelligence has historically been underestimated because their cognitive assessment has relied on tests designed for primates. Studies using species-appropriate tests reveal remarkable cognitive complexity: pigs learn from observation, form expectations about future events, and adjust behavior based on past experience. Emotional contagion means pigs in distress transmit negative states to pen mates. Cognitive enrichment in the form of learning tasks, environmental novelty, and problem-solving opportunities improves welfare outcomes in ways that simple physical enrichment cannot achieve.