Pig Wins in Bear Standoff| Small Farm Canada

Barbie is going viral on social media, but it’s not the Barbie you think!

A pig, named Barbie-Q, is gaining popularity for its heroic standoff with a black bear.

Owners, Crystal and Brandon Walls, were away from their farm in East Sooke, British Columbia, but hurried back when they got word that a fence had been breached by a bear. When they got back and watched security camera footage, they witnessed Barbie-Q saving the day.

A black bear had made its way into the enclosure with their livestock. While all the animals fled to safety, Barbie stayed to protect the area.

Camera footage shows Barbie charging and the black bear running a few steps away. Barbie herded the other animals back into safety and guarded the area for 30 minutes until the bear left.

@cbcvancouver A heroic showdown captured on surveillance footage earlier this week shows a brave pig charging a black bear that broke into her family's farm in Sooke, B.C.⁠ ⁠ Barn security footage shows the pig, named Barbie-Q, standing inches in front of the bear as it slowly steps closer to her.⁠ ⁠ Owner Crystal Walls and her husband were away at the time with their four dogs, who usually defend the farm.⁠ ⁠ When her housesitter called to let them know their fence had been breached, the couple rushed home and watched the security footage.⁠ ⁠ Walls said it seemed that Barbie-Q was attempting to corral their other animals back into their pen, charging at them to get back every time they came too close to the bear.⁠ ⁠ "It was very unbelievable to see," said Walls.⁠ ⁠ The bear sat back on his behind before leaving about 30 minutes later.⁠ ⁠ #pig #bear #sooke #vancouverisland #britishcolumbia #cbcnews ♬ Comedy Scenes - Comical, stupid, silly, loose, comical, farce(1295330) - Ponetto

Pig versus bear

Pigs are protective animals, and despite spending her early days living inside of the Wall’s house, Barbie-Q is no exception. As a baby, Barbie was affectionate with the Wall’s, their dogs, and their foster cats and continued to be motherly to the other animals once she moved outside.

Livestock farmers will know that having a brave and protective animal, like Barbie-Q, is a major asset in keeping their animals safe. Coyotes, bears, foxes, and wolves are some of the most common predators that lurk in Canada and are the cause for many accidental deaths amongst livestock.

While there are preventative measures that can be put in place, having a back-up guard animal can be lifesaving.

If you don’t have a personal Barbie-Q on your farm and are looking for ways to keep your animals safe, try implementing these five practices:

1. Upgrade Your Fencing

Building a fence is a great place to start, but there are many predators that can squeeze through or climb over fences. Adding extra protection such as mesh electric fencing, reflectors, motion activated lights, and alarms will help keep predators out of your livestock area.

2. Clear Away Attractants

Deadstock, after-birth, human food, pet food, compost, and junk piles are attractive to predators as a something to consume or a place to hide. Keeping these materials away from your livestock will naturally reduce the risk of predator attacks.

3. Create Shelters in Low-Risk Areas

Pens and enclosures for animals at night should be placed away from protective cover like shrubs, trees, and tall grass where predators will hide. It is also recommended to put these areas near human activity, this could be as simple as parking a vehicle near shelters and moving it regularly.

4. Keep a Healthy Prey Population

Create an area away from your livestock that wild prey will be attracted to by letting grass grow tall, planting food plants, and creating brush piles. By encouraging natural prey, such as wild game, rabbits, and rodents, predators will be able to feed themselves without seeking out your livestock.

If predator attacks have not been on issue on your farm, do not remove predators. This could attract other, more dangerous, predators that will attack livestock.

5. Monitor Your Livestock

Check on your animals frequently. In addition to scaring away predators with more activity, monitoring your livestock will help you identify any suspicious activity or incidents before they become serious.

More non-lethal predator management tips, were featured in the May-June 2022 issue of Small Farm Canada.