We have a lot of assumptions about the relationships between wild animals and farm animals because of the huge divide in how they live their lives.

But this amazing video of a wild pig walking with a cow shows just how much our assumptions can be wrong at times:

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Video credit: Rumble

The beautiful scene happened in the kingdom of Tonga, a country that consists of 169 islands in the South Pacific. Visiting the island of Vavaèu is like going back in time because the traditional ways are stronger here with less influence from the modern world compared to most countries.

Farming is very common on the island with cows left to wander freely, even grazing alongside the roads as much as in the fields. While there are free-range farms in the West, the freedom of movement granted to the cows on the island has not been seen for a long time in the modern world.

Apart from the cows, the pigs also roam freely. While there are both wild and domesticated pigs, because they are unrestrained there has been some interbreeding between wild and domesticated ones. This sometimes makes the issue of ownership a bit tricky to determine.

In the video, the cow is calmly strolling along a quiet country road towards another group of cows happily grazing up ahead. It’s already an amazing sight for the tourist taking the video but what happens next is even more astounding because a wild pig just calmly walks out of the bushes and accompanies the cow. It seems both are familiar with each other’s presence although the pig keeps a wary eye on the unfamiliar tourist.

When the cow pauses to gaze at the tourist further, the pig steps into the bushes as if to hide until the coast is clear. But the cow lets out a bellow, apparently deciding that the tourist is not a threat, and walks past while still eyeing the tourist with curiosity.

Tonga is truly a gem of a place where one can see how our forebears must have lived before the Industrial Revolution and all the sweeping changes that came after. When both humans and animals can live in harmony amongst themselves, it’s a taste of paradise that one would wish would never end.

 

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