Our latest investigation, featured in the Independent, has shattered yet another dark corner of animal agriculture. For the first time ever, anywhere, we went undercover inside a boar genetics farm—Innovis (GTC East) in Norfolk—and the horrors we uncovered are nearly indescribable. Almost 800 hours of secret footage reveal routine physical assault, commonplace verbal abuse and a complete disregard for animal life. These boars, kept for years in cramped concrete pens, are never allowed outside. Their lives are marked by unimaginable abuse, isolation, and suffering—hidden from public view until now.

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Innovis is a Red Tractor-approved supplier to one of the biggest leaders in pig genetics, Hermitage AI. It houses up to 130 'working stud boars' for semen collection. The semen is shipped across the UK to both Red Tractor-certified and RSPCA Assured sites, including Cranswick and BQP farms. Our footage reveals that this farm operates with a culture of violence, where legal and unethical practices merge into a daily nightmare for these animals. 

A chilling part of our footage captures the staff's callousness toward the boars. As these animals struggle, they're met with aggression and violence. Workers shout and yell at the terrified boars: "Get in there, you fat c*nt" and "nasty bastards." These pigs have no one to protect them, no escape from the torment inflicted upon them every day. Unseen and unheard until we pointed our cameras at them.

In a truly shocking revelation, our investigation confirms that non-consensual sexual acts are a government-sanctioned reality in pig genetics. Boars are forced onto 'Boar Mount Stools' where workers manually extract their semen. It's a grim scene showing how these animals are treated as machines with no consideration for their suffering or dignity. When the boars resist, they're yelled at and beaten, turned into unwilling participants in a system of legalised sexual acts.

Inside Innovis, violence is the norm. Across five months, we documented hundreds of incidents where workers struck the boars with a pitchfork and a metre-long plastic pipe, as well as kicking, punching, and kneeing them. Over one six-hour period, staff hit boars almost 300 times, and 58 times within a single hour. The pigs cowered, their bodies beaten and their spirits broken. Yet the cruelty doesn't stop. Each day, these animals are terrorised by an industry that treats them only as semen-producing commodities.

The boars live in small concrete pens, confined indoors for many years. They only have minimal straw for comfort and no access to the outdoors. Deprived of mental stimulation, they exhibit signs of profound frustration—aimless pacing, biting at bars and fighting with one another. We filmed boars who nuzzled at the concrete floor to break pieces off, giving them something to play with and chew on. Their desperation was evident to see.

Many boars showed severe lameness, struggling to bear weight on their legs. This may stem from long-term confinement on unsanitary concrete flooring and a lack of basic veterinary care. Struggling boars were moved to the collection room despite their inability to bear weight on their legs. One boar was filmed walking on his elbows, yet he was still forced to mount the stool in the collection room. Innovis staff continued with their violence as they whacked the lame individuals.

A second boar, who couldn't lift his back legs in the collection room, was brought out into the yard; this was the first time he would have been allowed outdoors. He was acutely distressed and unable to walk, collapsing and flailing on the concrete floor. The workers injected him, pushed him, pulled his tail and even joked, "We do try not to kill a pig every day, just every other day".

“The animal handling and care shown on this unit is truly shocking. Pigs are verbally and physically abused, appear to be neglected, and dosed with off-label drugs to the point of severe side effects and possibly even death. The force used in handling these animals, who show no aggression towards workers, is beyond excessive, and employs the use of inappropriate tools as weapons to inflict pain and fear.” – Dr Alice Brough BVM&S MRCVS, Veterinarian

In addition to physical violence, boars were frequently injected with drugs to hasten semen collection. Enzaprost injections were administered when boars were "reluctant to jump" before being masturbated by staff. Workers stabbed them hard in the neck with the needle, and several boars cried out. One staff member gave multiple shots to several boars, waiting no time between. These injections, intended to increase libido, carry side effects, including incoordination, irritation and vomiting. One boar was aggressively shouted at for vomiting following multiple injections of Enzaprost, which the worker stated was enough to "kill a few". 

Multiple boars were threatened by staff during our filming. If they were not cooperating, workers stated they'd add them to the 'cull list' or send them to the abattoir. One member of staff explained that once boars grew too large to handle or their semen motility decreased, they'd be sent to slaughter. Discarded like a damaged piece of machinery.

After years of living in barren living conditions and being beaten and stabbed by Innovis staff, boars would be sent to the slaughterhouse, where they'd likely be butchered and processed into cheap sausages. On average, stud boars are killed around 5-7 years old. Five years of torment. Five years of abuse. Five years of horror.

What we filmed is not an isolated case. Our investigation unveils an entire system that relies on secrecy, abuse, and taxpayer money to fund their violent practices. As we pull back the curtain on these unimaginable cruelties to such vulnerable animals, we need your help to ensure this suffering ends.

"Innovis and their workers must comply with section 4 and section 9 Animal Welfare Act 2006. There are copious failings of those duties across the undercover footage where these safeguards are violated, and workers intentionally cause the boars pain and suffering. It is wholly unacceptable to hit, strike or kick pigs, whether using a body part or an implement. There are clear breaches of these requirements given the unsanitary and slippery walkways coated with urine and faeces. There is a lack of suitable bedding or enrichment in some of the pens leaving animals to resort to pacing, playing with the concrete floor or fighting." – Ayesha Smart, Specialist Barrister in Animal Welfare Law

We can be the generation to end these atrocities that are hidden in the shadows of society. No animal should ever have to experience the pain, suffering and torment like what was inflicted upon these boars at Innovis. Find out more about Project Pig, our brand-new campaign shining a light on the UK pig industry.

As always,

For the animals.