EAST SOOKE, BC –
When Crystal and Brandon Walls first saw what was captured on their security cameras, they were shocked.
“The other animals were scared,” Brandon said, before pointing to footage of the goat racing around the hobby farm.
They are on the run from a black bear that has broken into the cage.
All but one animal they couldn’t find on screen – a pig named Barbie Q.
Crystal said: “She is my hairy little pig.
Barbie has lived in Crystal and Brandon’s house since childhood.
“She didn’t realize she was a pig,” Crystal said, before showing pictures of Barbie cuddling up with all the family members.
When Barbie isn’t playing with the dogs or tending to the cats in their collection, she embraces her human.
“She is lovely,” Crystal said, “and very intelligent.”
But as she got older, Barbie began to manipulate her big brain in ways that weren’t always beneficial.
“She was like a kid running,” Brandon said. “Chaos.”
“We had to buy child locks,” says Crystal. “So she couldn’t help but drink beer in the fridge.”
As Barbie transitions from life indoors to life outside, she begins to take care of the animals on the farm.
“Whether they’re scared, happy or sad,” says Crystal. “She just felt it.”
Except the other night, when the other animals were frantically running away from the bear.
“I think Barbie got some sleep,” Brandon said, explaining why the pig couldn’t be seen on the security footage.
It took a while for her to wake up, but when she could be seen coming out of her cage, Barbie found herself face to face with the bear.
Crystal said: “My heart was racing.
It’s a big bear compared to her little pig.
Barbie makes the first move and attacks the bear. The bear jumped up and ran away.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes,” Crystal said. “Shocking!”
“What the hell is going on here?” Brandon said. “Incredible!”
After the bear withdrew, it sat down and raised its paw towards the pig.
“It’s like it’s saying ‘Stop. I surrender,’” Crystal said. “’Haven’t you seen Winnie the Pooh?!’”
But Barbie has stood her ground. And when the other animals began to curiously approach the stop, Barbie chased them back to safety.
Finally, after the bear failed, the pig returned to his friends as a hero.
“I think it’s the classic David and Goliath story,” Brandon laughed.
While others may call Barbie a “super pig”, consider her “lucky” or may even give her the title “Oinker Conqueror”, Crystal proudly calls her brave son I am the “inspiration”.
“We are stronger than we thought,” Crystal smiled, before wrapping her arms around the pig with an appreciative hug and giving it a kiss. “And I think Barbie taught us that.”
