Grice (extinct pig)

Grice (extinct pig)

The grice was a breed of swine native to the Shetland Isles of Scotland. Small in size, yet ferocious, this domesticated breed of pig fell out of favour with crofters during the late 19th century and became extinct.

Accounts suggest grice were aggressive animals with small tusks, an arched-back, and a coat of stiff dark bristles over a fleece of wool. They were introduced to Shetland by Viking settlersFact|date=April 2008 and, like other species on the islands, evolved to be small and hardy to survive the harsh environmental conditions.

Most Shetland crofts would have at least one grice kept on grazing lands, though they would often roam across adjacent farmland, rooting up crops and occasionally attacking lambs. This behaviour led to the passing of a "grice law" fining the owner £10 plus the cost of any damages caused by rogue grice. This was such a problem that the townspeople would refer to their damaged property as being "griced."

In the 1800s, landowners discouraged the keeping of swine on island crofts. This, combined with the increasing import of other breeds from the Scottish mainland, resulted in a dwindling grice population, and by the 1930s the breed was extinct. The legacy of grice remains, however. The wild bulb squill is known locally as "grice's onions" because it was a favorite food of the swine [ [http://www.foulaheritage.org.uk/guided_walk.htm Foula Rangers Guided Walk Number One ] ] and the term "grice" is more widely used to refer to a small or young pig in some dialects.

In 2006 curators at the Shetland Museum and Archives commissioned a taxidermist to recreate a grice from the stuffed body of an immature wild boar. As no-one alive had seen a grice, the accuracy of the model relied on descriptions in "published sources ... investigated artefact and archaeological findings". [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/6155172.stm BBC NEWS | Scotland | North East/N Isles | Extinct island pig spotted again ] ] . The model grice went on public display in spring 2007. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/6714033.stm BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | North East/N Isles | New museum opens doors to public ] ]

References

See also

* Shetland animal breeds
* Shetland pony
*Insular dwarfism
*Extinction

External links

* [http://www.shetland-museum.org.uk/project2/index.htm New Shetland Museum and Archives]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/6155172.stm Extinct island pig spotted again] , "BBC News", 17 November, 2006.
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/north_east/6714033.stm New Museum Opens Doors to Public] , "BBC News", 2 June, 2007.


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