Porker thinks Ray is a corker
You’ve heard about a man and his dog, but what about a man and his pig?
Te Anau resident Ray Willett and his kunekune pig, Penelope, are regulars on Lake Te Anau’s waterfront but recently getting out and about has been a bit difficult.
‘‘She got too big to pick up,’’ Willett said.
In the afternoons, he usually takes Penelope down to the waterfront in his vehicle to graze while he reads a book.
He introduces her to people passing by and there are usually many tourists in the area who are keen to take a closer look at her.
When he first got Penelope at five weeks old, she was no bigger than his gumboots. Now, nine months old, she is not exactly petite and Willett had to think outside the box as to how to get her down to the waterfront.
With a bit of plywood, some metal and a sheepskin rug, Willett made a custom-built ramp for Penelope to hop on and off his vehicle.
‘‘I’m a bit of a hoarder, I make no apologies for that,’’ he said.
‘‘Things might come in useful one day.’’
He estimated Penelope now weighed about 45 kilograms and said she had taken to the ramp well.
‘‘I’ve never been without a pig for 40 years now,’’ he said.
After the death of his last pig on Boxing Day last year, it didn’t take too long for Willett to scope out the pig breeding market.
He found a breeder not too far from him, and eventually found Penelope.
Keeping pigs as pets was appealing because of their intelligence and how clean they were, Willett said.
Whether she was lying out in the sun or sheltering in her wee hut from a spot of bad weather, Willett enjoyed her company.
‘‘She’s just a delightful wee animal,’’ he said.