“Nellie,” perhaps the hammiest member of Valentines Performing Pigs, has not only visited tech companies like Microsoft, Intel and Medtronic, she’s considered the “world’s smartest pig,” and is in the process of being cloned, according to owner Steve Valentine. Her DNA has already been extracted, allowed to grow and is being preserved for transplantation, Valentine said.
\r\n\r\nThe troupe of mini-pigs, who are based in Gig Harbor, Wash., perform an act that consists of tricks and athletic feats, including dancing, jumping in the air, playing catch, slam-dunking a basketball and riding scooters.
\r\n\r\nHere, Nellie skateboards at a show in Kirkland, Wash.
Here Nellie jumps through a hoop at a show in Kent, Wash. She will be featured on two Animal Planet shows at 7 and 8 p.m. Friday.
Bill Detwiler is the Editor for Technical Content and Ecosystem at Celonis. He is the former Editor in Chief of TechRepublic and previous host of TechRepublic's Dynamic Developer podcast and Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show. Previously, Bill was an IT manager in the social research and energy industries. He has bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Louisville, where he has also lectured on computer crime and crime prevention.
