The Road Less Traveled : Pigs vs. Dogs / Puaka vs. Culi

A skirmish broke out a few days ago that reminded me that I have not yet

talked about the interesting aspects of living with animals in Tonga.

I am sorry to tell all of you dog lovers out there, but dogs in Tonga are not

treated well. Dogs are wanted as guard dogs and not pets, and thus they are treated cruelly. Dogs are never allowed in the house and have to scrounge around for food. Tongans see nothing wrong with hitting dogs, and kids often throw stones at dogs as they walk in the streets. Growing up in this environment, the dogs in Tonga are particularly tough and can be dangerous.

The pigs and chickens are treated much differently by Tongans. They are not touched and are fed every day to fatten them up. However, like dogs, these animals have complete freedom of movement. I see pigs and chickens wherever I go, and no one cares if someone’s chickens or pigs are on their property or in the middle of the street. Having been here for over a month, I am already completely used to seeing these animals everywhere I look.

The pigs and dogs often interact with each other and are constantly in the vicinity of the other without anything happening. The pigs and dogs always just leave each other alone. This changed one day, though, as when I was walking to the next town I saw a pack of 5 dogs chasing a small pig, who was frantically and literally running for its life. I was very surprised because I have never seen the pigs and dogs have any problems before, and while the pig was small and young, it was not nearly as small as the baby pigs that are everywhere and would offer easy prey for the dogs.

A Tongan, not wanting to lose his valuable pig, chased after the animals to try to save the pig. Catching up to them, he picked up the pig by its snout and hind legs, while the dogs still tried to jump into his arms and bite the pig. At the same time, I noticed a group of Tongans trying to control the massive mother pig from running away from the house. Not able to be restrained, the large mother pig broke free and slammed into the dogs, chasing them away. One of the dogs still remained and the Tongan, who had previously worked so hard to save the pig, actually used the small pig as a club to knock the dog away.

It was a bizarre scene and showed me that I still have a lot to learn about Tonga and its animals, especially this uneasy truce that exists between pigs and dogs. It was also further proof that there is never a dull moment for me in Tonga.