Meet Ali the pig who thinks she is a sheep

An orphaned pig has found a new home and family, with a flock of sheep.
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When a 13-week old pig appeared to be abandoned by its mother as the runt of the litter, staff and students at East Durham College feared that she would not last long.

So the saddleback porker was sent to a special barn with other orphaned animals, who also needed to be bottle fed to try and help their chances of survival.

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But this little piggy did not want to go to market. Instead, she wanted to spend her time in the other pen, with all her sheep friends.

Ali the pig who thinks it is a sheep at East Durham CollegeAli the pig who thinks it is a sheep at East Durham College
Ali the pig who thinks it is a sheep at East Durham College

Like out of a scene from the hit movie “Babe”, staff at East Durham College kept finding that she would find her way from her own pen, and into the sheep pen – to play, feed, and sleep with her wooly friends.

Keith Cook, farm manager at East Durham College said: “She’s been here about five weeks now. But every morning we kept finding her in the sheep pen. The sheep love her.

“They eat, sleep, and play together. All the other sheep are very comfortable with her and happy to be together.

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“The pig has to stay here now because the other pigs would not accept her, she is best off here. She is a real hit with staff and students.

Alistair has been adopted by her new familyAlistair has been adopted by her new family
Alistair has been adopted by her new family

“One of our students kept calling her Alistair. But even though she’s a girl, the name has just stuck.”

The staff at the 80-year-old agricultural college have some interesting plans for Alistair. On Sunday June 16, staff took Alistair to the Durham Show with some of her new woolly friends.

But the future for Alistair is looking good for the newest member of the flock. Mr Cook wants to breed from her – with other pigs, and has confirmed that she will live out her natural life at the college.