Island's famous swimming pigs mysteriously found dead

A "mysterious wave of death" has struck some of the famous swimming pigs who live in the Bahamas on the uninhabited island of Big Major Cay known as "Pig Beach", according to the Washington Post.

At first, people guessed that tourists were killing the creatures.

The Telegraph reports that deceased pigs were "given the wrong food," perhaps even alcohol.

Alfred Gray, the Bahamas' minister of agriculture and marine resources, announced Thursday that official autopsy results say pigs died from ingesting too much sand.

Tourist treatment of the animals is still a matter of concern, though.

Wayde Nixon, a local who claims to have started the pig colony decades ago, told the Nassau Guardian that visitors are rough with the pigs, and sometimes even jump on them.

Officials from the Bahamas Humane Society told Tribune 242 they are not sure how many pigs died, but they think there are only about seven or eight left. They also are not sure if the deaths were accidental initially -- only that their bodies were dumped into the water after they were found.

The animals bring quite a few famous tourists to the island, including Amy Schumer, Donald Trump Jr. and the cast of The Bachelor.

Gray told the Guardian that visitors will no longer be allowed to feed the pigs -- only take photos. Nixon said his team will continue to work with the government to "regulate" access to the pigs.

See photos of the beach: