Rebecca Shaw was shocked to see the footage on her Ring camera. Not only had a black bear wandered into her yard but it climbed into the pen of her two beloved pigs, which fought it off.  Ms. Shaw told The Echo exclusively that, “Although we have many wild animals here from bears to coyotes, bobcats, foxes and much more, they have never bothered the pigs or entered their pen.”

Ms. Shaw’s pigs’ fearless act has made them Internet famous, with coverage worldwide. Both Mary and her timid little brother Hammy can be seen on Ring’ camera footage headbutting the black bear after it climbed into their pen. Mary was the first to act and then Hammy charged out of their shelter to knock the bear into a corner. The bear can be seen then climbing back over the fence and then running away as fast as possible.  

In the wake of the dramatic incident, Ms. Shaw told The Echo, “They are ok now. They were unharmed except I think Mary was sore for a while, probably because of the impact when she slammed the bear up against the fence. I think they are both still a little scared and traumatized, especially Mary.  I calmed them down by spending extra time with them that night along with extra treats and belly rubs. Although they need a diet, Pop Tarts and watermelon are their favorite special treats. And yes I said belly rubs. They absolutely love belly rubs, especially Hammy. Sometimes all you gotta do is scratch them the right way and they go right down on the ground for a belly rub.”

Hammy & Mary’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/hamletandmary

Ms. Shaw said that she is very proud of the pigs, especially Hammy, who is afraid of his own shadow. She praises her pigs for their kindness and intelligence. She is now working to add increased security to the pigs’ pen in the aftermath of the incident to keep them safe from further intruders. 

Ms. Shaw revealed to The Echo, “I’ve had them for 17 months. They are both 4 yrs old but not related. Hammy is a Vietnamese potbelly pig. Mary is a potbelly and Kunekune pig. They are considered my Grand Piggies, as they belonged to my daughter who had to move from Tennessee to California and couldn’t bring them with her but couldn’t bear to give them up. So, of course here they are with me Grandma.”

If you are interested in helping the pigs out, a GoFundMe was launched. In addition to helping secure Hammy and Mary’s home, donations are being raised to help Ms. Shaw offset the financial burden of travel for personal medical treatments. According to the GoFundMe, she has been out of an income since December because she is taking care of her mother full-time. She has an unspecified b cell lymphoma and rare blood disorders, which require her to travel back and forth to Uconn for the treatments she needs.