The time trotter: After 50 years, the Cumberland pig comes 支援する from 絶滅

By David Derbyshire for MailOnline
Updated:

It has been 50 years since those floppy ears, 上昇傾向 ed snout and 独特の weaving waddle were seen in a farmyard.

But the Cumberland pig will oink again.

The extinct 産む／飼育する, which gave its 指名する to the coiled sausage, is 存在 recreated with the help of science.

Six months ago, Wendy was born - a （種を）蒔く who 株 99.6 per cent of her デオキシリボ核酸 with a Cumberland pig.

大きくする ? Georgia Bowes and the Cumberland pig

You saved my bacon: Wendy, fed by Georgia 屈服するs, 12, is the 'spitting image' of a Cumberland and a 99.6 per cent デオキシリボ核酸 match


Terry 屈服するs, the man behind the 事業／計画（する）, says Wendy is the spitting image of the last Cumberland, which died in 1960.

'I met a man who helped look after that last pig and he has been to see Wendy and says she's a dead ringer,' said Mr 屈服するs who runs the Wetheriggs Animal 救助（する） and 自然保護 Centre in Cumbria.

'She's not a 十分な Cumberland - but we are only three or four years away from getting there.'

Cumberland pig

Recreated: Mr 屈服するs worked with 地元の scientists and interbred 地元の 産む／飼育するs that were genetically 類似の to the Cumberland pig

The 産む／飼育する was ありふれた in British styes until the middle of last century and was used to make the 初めの Cumberland sausages. But the pigs were slow to 円熟した and their pork was fattier than other 産む／飼育するs.

By the 1950s they had given way to bigger, leaner pigs.

To recreate the 産む／飼育する, a デオキシリボ核酸 見本 was taken from a Cumberland pig hide and compared with 見本s from pigs around the world.

Cumberland sausage

The Cumberland pig was used to make the 初めの Cumberland sausages last century

Working with 地元の scientists, Mr 屈服するs discovered that the Cumberland was most closely 関係のある to the Gloucester Old 位置／汚点／見つけ出す, Oxford Sandy & 黒人／ボイコットs and the Polynesian Kune Kune. These pigs were interbred and each piglet was 実験（する）d to see whether it was any closer to the real thing.

'The Victorians were very good at 持続するing 遺伝子 pools but we 港／避難所't been, partly because of modern farming,' said Mr 屈服するs.

'I think it was important to try to save this part of our 遺産.'

Mr 屈服するs is 気が進まない to carry out the final 実験（する） on Wendy and turn her into saus ages. 'We won't be eating her, she's a bit special,' he said. 'She's an 絶対の 星／主役にする, she's a very 削減（する） and cuddly pig.'

Instead, she will be mated with an Old Welsh boar next year.

熱中している人s have already recreated the once-extinct Oxford Sandy & 黒人／ボイコット 産む／飼育する.

A 広報担当者 for the Rare 産む／飼育するs 生き残り 信用 said: 'This enthusiasm for our native and historical 産む／飼育するs and their place in our 遺産 is one which is 株d by the Rare 産む／飼育するs 生き残り 信用.

'However, these modern recreations of 初めの 産む／飼育するs are not recognised by the RBST.'

Cumberland pig fact file


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