Take some time out to watch the pigs

Forget canoeing down the Amazon, because pig watching could be the next draw for the eco-tourist.

Researchers from Germany claim that grazing pigs attract spectators and benefit the environment. They found the pigs' unique foraging behaviour opened up patches of soil that are essential for the establishment of some species. Within two years of the study, several rare plants and birds began to thrive in areas grazed by pigs.

The findings were presented at this week's annual meeting of the Conservation Biology Society at the University of Kent.