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Pig who ‘talks’ using buttons gets Guinness World Record for his viral fame
Merlin, a mini Vietnamese potbelly pig, uses over 30 voice-recorded buttons to communicate and has 1.1 million Instagram followers, earning a Guinness World Record.
- Four-Year-Old Merlin, a Vietnamese potbelly pig, earned a Guinness World Records title for the most Instagram followers for a pig. His account, @MerlinThePig, reached 1.1 million followers last week.
- Owner Mina Alali adopted the pig in March 2022 and began training him when he was three months old. She designed buttons for his Sacramento home to help him communicate needs and emotions.
- Using over 30 buttons, Merlin expresses specific requests or feelings. One video of him pushing buttons has more than 26 million views, demonstrating his 'cognitively complex' abilities in problem-solving.
- The viral sensation now works as a certified therapy pig, visiting assisted living homes. Because Merlin has grown to about 180 pounds, Alali had to retire one of his buttons.
- Vietnamese potbellied pigs can live up to two decades, suggesting Merlin is not done growing physically or intellectually. He will serve as the ring bearer at Alali's upcoming wedding in September.
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Meet Merlin, the 'Talking' Pig Who Just Earned a Guinness World Record for His Online Popularity
Training, patience, and positive reinforcement turned a communicative California-based pig into a global sensation. The social media star communicates using sound buttons, which has earned him over one million followers on Instagram.
·United States
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Merlin the Pig holds the Guinness World Record for the most followers!
Merlin is a Mini Vietnamese Pot-bellied pig. He was adopted by his owner, Mina Alali, in March 2022, a dream come true for a long-time animal lover. Mina began training with Merlin when he was just 3 months old, using customizable voice-recorded buttons which enabled him to communicate his wants and needs. Mina has documented her life with Merlin, her training techniques, and Merlin’s lovable, sassy personality with their followers online.
·United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources9
Leaning Left3Leaning Right1Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution43% Left, 43% Center
Bias Distribution
- 43% of the sources lean Left, 43% of the sources are Center
43% Center
L 43%
C 43%
14%
Factuality
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