Several of the Bahamas' famous colony of swimming pigs have died after tourists allegedly fed them junk food and alcohol, multiple sources report.

According to The Independent, seven of the pigs were found dead and floating in the water near the Exuma Cays last week, leaving around 15 members of the colony alive. Wayde Nixon, one of the pigs' owners who brought them to the uninhabited island years ago, stated that the cause of death was due to the animals being fed the "wrong food." However, local officials state that they're still investigating other possible causes.

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We had the government vet in there [who] examined them all thoroughly," Nixon told The Nassau Guardian. "He gave them shots, he gave them medicine, and I was there and I worked with them for three days straight. We had them pigs there almost 30 years, and never has this happened before, but now we are going to have to regulate it."

Right now its blowing out of proportion with people, anybody, bringing food there, anybody doing what they [want to] do," he continued. "We have people coming there giving the pigs beer, rum, riding on top of them, all kinds of stuff.

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The island's exceptionally friendly swimming pigs have long cohabited peacefully with tourists, who visit the island in hopes of getting to swim alongside them. However, because of this heartbreaking incident, officials now state that new regulations will be put into place that will prevent tourists from being able to feed them.

Its really a mystery, president of the Bahamas Humane Society Kim Aranha told a local newspaper. It could just be a horrible accident where they ate something poisonous. It could be malicious but I dont really see why someone would go out of their way to hurt those lovely animals.

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Famous Swimming Pigs in the Bahamas Found Dead After Tourists Give Them Alcohol - Cosmopolitan.com