Pigs have cognitive abilities comparable to dogs and primates, yet are routinely kept in barren environments that fail to stimulate their natural intelligence and curiosity.
The intelligence of pigs creates both the problem and the solution for pig enrichment. These are animals capable of boredom, frustration, and complex emotional states - and barren commercial housing denies them the stimulation their cognitive capacity demands. The same intelligence that enables pigs to suffer from understimulation also means they respond rapidly to enrichment provision. Providing rooting substrate, novel objects, and problem-solving opportunities produces measurable improvements in welfare within days of implementation.