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Vietnamese Potbellied Pig Earns Guinness World Record for Gaining Most Instagram Followers
Merlin the “talking” pig is one popular porker. The Vietnamese potbellied pig has racked up a whopping 1.1 million Instagram followers — earning a Guinness World Record for his social media stardom!
The 4-year-old, 180-pound oinker is now the proud owner of the prestigious title of “Most Followers on Instagram for a Pig!”
Merlin communicates with his human family by tapping a series of multicolored buttons with his snout. The buttons emit sounds ranging from simple statements like “yes” and “no” to requests for food and quips like “I’m mad,” “clap for Merlin” and “pay attention to me right now.”
Mina Alali of Sacramento, Calif., adopted Merlin in 2022 and began training him when he was about 3 months old. She posted videos of him “talking” on social media and his celebrity exploded!
According to Guinness, the social media posts sparked “conversation online about just how intelligent, emotional and human-like pigs can be when given the time, patience and positive reinforcement.”
The sensational swine is also a certified therapy pig. Merlin is leash-trained and enjoys taking walks downtown to see the sights, according to Mina.
“At this point, he is recognized every single time we are out in the world,” she told Guinness World Record. “My fiancé and I joke that it’s like we’re out walking with Brad Pitt.”
After winning the Guinness title, Mina shared her excitement in an Instagram post. “Thank you guys from the bottom of our human & piggy hearts — obviously couldn’t have done this without you and we are forever grateful for your consistent love and support,” she wrote.
