Jumper as a baby, in 2009. (Photo by Julia Stein.)
Jumper loves few things so much as a good wallow! (Photo by Kiley Stephens.)
Jumper, right, with Macy. (Photo by Aaron Rosapepe.)
Jumper relaxes with some raven neighbors. (Photo by Kerrie Wooten.)
Photo by Cameron O’Steen.
Jumper, left, hanging out with pal Jimmy the Snout. (Photo by Kerrie Wooten.)
Jump, Jump, Jumper for
Joy!
As a piglet, Jumper received her name after she rescued herself by
jumping out of a crate at a stockyard.
After jumping for freedom, Jumper won the lottery and landed at our
Southern California Shelter.
Young and spry, Jumper brought much joy and fun the shelter,
where she received round-the-clock care.
In her initial weeks at the sanctuary, her favorite pastime was
being bottle-fed.
And, as many a visitor
and volunteer can attest, feeding times were the only waking moments when Jumper wasn’t active. Otherwise, she was a piglet on the go! She ran circles around everyone she met,
delighting all with her bountiful energy.
Though to many, her playful exercise might have seemed aimless, Jumper was in fact often
plotting her escape; the same spirit and drive that had led her to freedom created much havoc
at the sanctuary.
Sly little Jumper’s escapes
were more amusing than dangerous, though.
She was a girl on a mission: find the chicken feed! Those few human friends who were able to outlast her youthful energy were rewarded by the sight of the young babe crashing into one of her deep naps, in which
she softly grunted and her petite legs visibly twitched. Jumper experienced what every baby deserves: peaceful
sleep filled with glorious dreams, without a care in the world.
Jumper’s days were not always carefree, though: She was once a working girl. She was the breakout starlet of “Bold
Native,” an evocative film about animal liberation written and directed by Denis
Henry Hennelly. Years after her film
debut, “Bold Native” fans still travel to the sanctuary to meet their favorite rescued
porcine star. We’d like to say the fame
hasn’t gotten to Jumper’s head, but we cannot — Jumper is a diva extraordinaire,
and we love her!
A clip from Jumper’s breakout performance in “Bold Native.”
Now that Jumper is a grown-up, she runs around less frequently
and is more likely to be seen building up her energy reserves by enjoying a good,
long nap with pals Jimmy and Sophie
— sometimes interrupted by a much-loved (and much-deserved, as far as she’s concerned) belly
rub by one of her humanimal friends. It’s a
good thing Jumper stores her energy so well, because twice a day it’s
mealtime. This is, unsurprisingly, her
favorite part of the day, particularly when she gets to enjoy fresh produce!
The lively days of her youth are now past, but Jumper remains passionate. Today, her passion is for all things
water!
She often can be found
wallowing in the pond, or even napping in it. We speculate that Jumper’s dreams while snoozing in the pond are filled with sandy beaches, enveloping waves, and a Beach Boys soundtrack. Jumper is a Southern California girl at heart!
On the rare occasion that it rains in Southern California,
Jumper rejoices! Rather than cower in
the barn waiting for the rain to subside, Jumper bounces about the yard, enjoying
the great pond from the sky. Perhaps, if
it rained more frequently, Jumper would eventually tire of it, but as it stands, she
cannot seem to get enough of it, and every so often we get to witness her
unadulterated pleasure at the spectacle!
Jumper going for a walk in the rain!
Like Jumper, all pigs have distinct personalities, with likes and dislikes, preferred friends, and favorite pastimes all their own. Read more stories of the pigs who call Farm Sanctuary home and learn more about the lives of these incredible animals in “Thinking Pigs: Cognition, Emotion, and Personality,” the new white paper from The Someone Project, a joint undertaking by the Kimmela Center for Animal Advocacy and Farm Sanctuary to compile, review, and publish scientific evidence for cognitive and emotional complexity in farm animals and to support promising research in these areas. If you’re inspired by Jumper’s story, please consider sharing it to help spread the word that pigs like her are each someone, not something. A compassionate world begins with you!
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