Saving the World One Pig at a Time

We just welcomed a new member into the Sandos Caracol family! On January 5, 2016, a sweet little pig arrived at our hotel to live right here on the property. As you can see, he is an adorable little guy, and we are so excited to get to know him better and offer him a happy, respectable lifestyle.

The Pig’s Story

For Christmas 2015, this little pig was used alongside other animals in a Christmas display: a life-sized nativity scene (not at our hotel). Of course, these nativity scenes look very pretty and let you pet cute animals, but what we often don’t think about is what happens to these animals once the Christmas season is over. Such was the story of our pig. At the end of the Christmas season, the fate of the animals was uncertain. We were afraid the pig would end up as food, so we decided to offer him (along with some rabbits, roosters and hens) a long, happy new life at Sandos Caracol.

A Pig with a Personality

Now, the pig is being cared for by Horalia and Joel, who make sure he is well-fed, as well as the hotel’s veterinarian. Over the past few weeks, we have seen that he has such a friendly personality! He seems very happy with his new life here in the Riviera Maya. Our guests can get to know him every day with our Animal Keeper activity; the pig has quickly become one of the stars of Animal Keeper, and the kids love to pet him.

But the new pig at Sandos Caracol Eco Resort isn’t just cute… he’s very smart, too! Scientific studies have shown us that pigs are much more intelligent than we used to think. In some areas, they’re more intelligent that dogs and as smart as chimpanzees. In fact, there are many things you probably didn’t know about pig intelligence:

Pigs have excellent long-term memory.

They are able to solve mazes.

They can recognize different symbols.

They feel empathy for other beings.

Pigs have very complex social lives; they can work as a team and learn from one another.

At Sandos Caracol, we are so happy to have the resources needed to offer a good life to this little pig, but he has been a blessing to us, as well. Not only does he bring joy to the guests and kids at the hotel, he’s also an inspiration to keep fighting for animal rights.

The Animals at Sandos Caracol

All of the animals living at our hotel have their own story, and they have been rescued from difficult situations or form part of a species reproduction program. For example, many of you know the story of Lupita the macaw, who was once mistreated as a show animal to take pictures with tourists; she started ripping out her feathers to show her sadness. Today, Lupita lives happily at Sandos Caracol with her best friend, Darwin.

And of course, at the resort you’ll also find many wild animals roaming around. Thanks to our large stretches of natural jungle and mangrove, a variety of species choose to live freely here at Sandos Caracol. You’ve probably seen some coatis, iguanas, cats and spider monkeys during your Riviera Maya vacation.

So come and meet the animals that live here! Book your stay at Sandos Caracol Eco Resort and discover a vacation designed for animal-lovers who respect the creatures that share this planet with us.