Students find Brian a pet with more grunt

Brian the kune kune pig with her owners, University of Otago fourth-year students Simon Rankin (left) and Brendon Harper. Photo by Stephen Jaquiery.
Brian the kune kune pig with her owners, University of Otago fourth-year students Simon Rankin (left) and Brendon Harper. Photo by Stephen Jaquiery.
Meet Brian, a "gender confused" 4-month-old kune kune pig from Maheno, North Otago. She likes apples, bread, rooting up the ground and going for a walk. She does not like being picked up. She does not like being crowded by packs of cooing girls.

With four flatmates, University of Otago medical student Simon Rankin (21), of Invercargill, bought Brian about three weeks ago for $40 from a Maheno farmer called - you guessed it - Brian.

They were going to buy chickens because their flat had a coop, but they decided a piglet would be better.

The flatmates had made an enclosure for Brian and she was fed all the leftovers - except pork.

Flatmate and University of Otago masters student Brendon Harper (21), of Balclutha, said Brian went for her first walk this week and she had also been taught to sit and to jump.

The flatmates said they were asked three questions when they said they had a pet pig called Brian: "Are you joking?" "I thought you said she was a girl?" and "Are you going to eat her?"The answers: no, yes and no.

Mr Rankin said he and Mr Harper would take Brian with them to a new flat next year.

It is the life of Brian.

- sarah.harvey@odt.co.nz