Three years ago, Rosângela Martins dos Santos de Lara of PeruÃbe, Brazil, purchased what she thought was a miniature breed of piglet.
Expecting the animal to grow to be about 35 inches long, she named the tiny cutie Lilica. The animal quickly became a member of her family, sleeping in the house and getting along well with her other household pets. Everything was going great, until Lilica began to grow. And grow. And GROW!
It turns out, there’s nothing miniature about Lilica at all! She is, in fact, a full-grown hog who now weighs 551 pounds and measures 5 feet from snout to tail. Thankfully, Rosângela’s love for the pig grew right along with Lilica, so their bond is just as gigantic!
“People sometimes criticize me, they say I am crazy,” Rosângela said, “but she brings me joy. I don’t think it’s crazy, but rather a love for animals.”
In spite of the fact that she is a lot bigger than expected, Lilica is a gentle giant who spends most of the day sleeping. She’s entirely house-trained and does her business in a special section of the yard. She even sleeps on her own mattress on the master bedroom floor with a fan blowing on her to keep her cool. In the morning, she often takes a shower before heading out to root around and nap in the grassy backyard while soaking up some sun.
Lilica’s family members aren’t the only people who have fallen in love with this laid-back giant. All of their neighbors enjoy feeding and petting her, and children and dogs are especially charmed by her.
“The pig is best known in the neighborhood, a lot of people like it, especially children,” said Larissa, Rosângela’s daughter. “When people see it, they’re surprised, they want to take a picture.”
Caring for such a large domesticated pig isn’t easy. Rosângela and her husband struggle to provide the 11 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables Lilica needs to eat every day, but they wouldn’t trade their struggles for anything. In fact, people have offered more than $3,500 to buy Lilica, but her family won’t even consider it.
Lilica is a well-loved and cared for member of their family, but living with a massive beast in the house can be frustrating at times.
“It’s a stubborn animal! It has a strong personality,” Larissa explained. “When it wants something you cannot stop it. There’s no discussion. It also makes a lot of noise, especially when it’s hungry, it opens the fridge, the cupboard, and it makes a mess when it’s upset.â€
She’s also a bit of a sofa hog, but that’s to be expected when you’re bigger than the sofa! While Lilica certainly wasn’t what this family expected, she’s a great example of how sometimes good things come in HUGE packages!
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