Sacramento Pig Wins World Record With 1.1M Followers

A four-year-old Vietnamese potbellied pig wearing a propeller hat is now officially the most popular pig on Instagram, and his story is melting hearts across the internet.

Merlin, who lives in Sacramento with owner Mina Alali, just earned a Guinness World Record for amassing more than 1.1 million Instagram followers. The 180-pound celebrity got famous by doing something remarkable: talking using buttons that play recorded words when he presses them.

Alali adopted Merlin in 2020 after walking away from a music career that didn't align with her values. She'd already found social media success with her bearded dragon Mochi, whose training videos earned millions of views during the pandemic.

When a coworker asked what was stopping her from getting her dream pet, Alali drove two days to pick up Merlin. He was older and bigger than the other piglets available, but she knew instantly he was the one.

Within four months, Merlin had his own Instagram account. His vocabulary started with sassy phrases like "I want a kiss, b----" and "I'm hungry, b----," which Alali turned into merchandise as fans fell in love with his personality.

Today, Merlin knows over 30 buttons that let him ask for treats, request to go outside, and share his feelings. The videos of him communicating have helped Alali build a following of 2.5 million people across platforms.

The success allowed Alali to leave her day job and work full-time creating content while volunteering at the Wildlife Care Association of Sacramento. But the best part wasn't the career change.

Sunny's Take

Merlin didn't just give Alali a new career path. He brought her entire family together and even played a role in her meeting her fiancé, Alex Saraceno.

"He's pretty much the best thing that's ever happened to me," Alali said. "Next to my fiancé."

When Alali discovered another pig held the Instagram record with slightly fewer followers, she couldn't resist applying. The Guinness team certified Merlin as officially the most followed pig on the platform.

Now the propeller-hatted record holder lives in Natomas with his family, including a group of rats and other rescued animals. What started as one woman's childhood dream became a world record, a livelihood, and proof that sometimes the best things in life really do come with four legs and a curly tail.