Dr. Candace Croney, director of the Purdue University Center for Animal Welfare Science (CAWS) and professor of animal behavior and well-being, made an appearance Saturday, June 23, on National Geographic’s season 1, episode 2 of “Howie Mandel’s Animals Doing Things.” As host of the show, Howie Mandel narrates cute clips of animals doing odd, cute, or funny behavior while also including a splash of animal facts.
In her remarks on the show, Dr. Croney was able to provide viewers with insight about the level of pigs’ intelligence. She discussed how pigs have the mental sophistication to use mirrors, computers, and even joysticks. “Pigs are able to learn complex concepts and they can do things that we probably never gave them credit for in the past,” explained Dr. Croney, who holds a joint appointment in Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Comparative Pathobiology and the College of Agriculture’s Department of Animal Sciences.
Click here to watch the episode online (a sign-in with a qualifying TV provider may be required, but a limited preview pass is also offered). Dr. Croney appears about 34:25 into the show, in a segment titled “Meet the Pig Expert.” The program is produced for Nat Geo Wild, but also is carried on Fox.