Afghanistan's Only Pig

[Variable]

aww

Afghanistan's only pig quarantined in flu fear

Tue May 5, 2009 3:32pm EDT
By Golnar Motevalli

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan's only known pig has been locked in a room, away from visitors to Kabul zoo where it normally grazes beside deer and goats, because people are worried it could infect them with the virus popularly known as swine flu.

The pig is a curiosity in Muslim Afghanistan, where pork and pig products are illegal because they are considered irreligious, and has been in quarantine since Sunday after visitors expressed alarm it could spread the new flu strain.

"For now the pig is under quarantine, we built it a room because of swine influenza," Aziz Gul Saqib, director of Kabul Zoo, told Reuters. "We've done this because people are worried about getting the flu."

Worldwide, more than 1,000 people have been infected with the virus, according to the World Health Organization, which also says 26 people have so far died from the strain. All but one of the deaths were in Mexico, the epicenter of the outbreak.

There are no pig farms in Afghanistan and no direct civilian flights between Kabul and Mexico.

"We understand that, but most people don't have enough knowledge. When they see the pig in the cage they get worried and think that they could get ill," Saqib said.

The pig was a gift to the zoo from China, which itself quarantined some 70 Mexicans, 26 Canadians and four Americans in the past week, but later released them.

Some visitors were not concerned about the fate of the pig and said locking it away was probably for the best.

"Influenza is quite contagious and if it passes between people and animals then there's no need for the pig to be here," zoo visitor Farzana said.

Shabby and rundown, Kabul Zoo is a far cry from zoos in the developed world, but has nevertheless come a long way since it suffered on the front line of Afghanistan's 1992-4 civil war.

Mujahideen fighters then ate the deer and rabbits and shot dead the zoo's sole elephant. Shells shattered the aquarium.

One fighter climbed into the lion enclosure but was immediately killed by Marjan, the zoo's most famous inhabitant. The man's brother returned the next day and lobbed a hand grenade at the lion leaving him toothless and blind.

The zoo now holds two lions who replaced Marjan who died of old age in 2002 as well as endangered local leopards. In all, it houses 42 species of birds and mammals and 36 types of fish and attracts up to 10,000 visitors on weekends.

(Reporting by Golnar Motevalli; Editing by Jon Hemming)

That must be one of the world's safest pigs.

[hijabihoodlum]

it must be so sad.

[thejellymill]

poor piggy


this has got to be one of the stupidest things i've heard..

Mujahideen fighters then ate the deer and rabbits and shot dead the zoo's sole elephant. Shells shattered the aquarium.

One fighter climbed into the lion enclosure but was immediately killed by Marjan, the zoo's most famous inhabitant. The man's brother returned the next day and lobbed a hand grenade at the lion leaving him toothless and blind.

The zoo now holds two lions who replaced Marjan who died of old age in 2002 as well as endangered local leopards. In all, it houses 42 species of birds and mammals and 36 types of fish and attracts up to 10,000 visitors on weekends.

he tried to avenge his half-wit brother against the lion? what an idiot. poor lion. eating the rabbits and deer is one thing, but why would they needlessly shoot the elephant?

[Purple_alien]

If you climb into a lion's den- no offense, but nature should be allowed to take its course. There is no avenging that death- the lion was doing what lions do.

[ChotooMotoo]

thejellymill said

poor piggy


this has got to be one of the stupidest things i've heard..


he tried to avenge his half-wit brother against the lion? what an idiot. poor lion. eating the rabbits and deer is one thing, but why would they needlessly shoot the elephant?

that's what stupid people with guns do when they get bored, they destroy things.

[Variable]

thejellymill said

poor piggy


this has got to be one of the stupidest things i've heard..


he tried to avenge his half-wit brother against the lion? what an idiot. poor lion. eating the rabbits and deer is one thing, but why would they needlessly shoot the elephant?

In fairness, the elephant could have been killed by accident. There are an awful lot of bullets flying around the place (from celebratory gunfire alone). But yeh, if they did, it's pretty insane.

I'm actually happy for the pig (once they let it out of solitary). Pigs are social, and it seems this one gets to hang out with other animals. I hope though the conditions are general okay for it.

[thejellymill]

I'm actually kind of surprised that nobody has tried to kill the pig yet, seeing as how some crazy people think it's even haraam to look at one, say the word "pig" or touch one.

some of them can actually be quite cute!

[Variable]

thejellymill said

I'm actually kind of surprised that nobody has tried to kill the pig yet, seeing as how some crazy people think it's even haraam to look at one, say the word "pig" or touch one.

some of them can actually be quite cute!

I was surprised that Kabul had a zoo

People who are down on pigs should watch the PBS special:

The Joy of Pigs - Smart, Clean, and Lean | Nature

I wish I could save the pigs.

[ChotooMotoo]

This reporter watched "Babe" recently

That'll do pig, zoo tells only porker - Yahoo! News

That'll do pig, zoo tells only porker

By Golnar Motevalli – 2 hrs 47 mins ago

KABUL (Reuters) – Afghanistan's only known pig trotted out of quarantine Saturday, two months after he was locked away because of swine flu fears, to bask again in the mud at the Kabul Zoo.

The pig, a curiosity in Muslim Afghanistan where pork and pig products are illegal because they are considered irreligious, was quarantined because visitors to the zoo were worried it could spread the new H1N1 flu strain, commonly known as swine flu.
"Our people did not understand that the disease only passes from person to person and felt that the swine influenza might even be spread from the zoo because we have a pig here," zoo manager Aziz Gul Saqib told Reuters.

"Other zoos abroad told us not to worry ... when people began to realize the disease doesn't come from the pig itself we decided to release the pig," he said.

"Khanzir" -- Pashto for pig -- appeared unperturbed as a team of zoo workers used sticks to gently prod him out of his temporary concrete home into his usual enclosure of lush green shrubs and a mud puddle.

Unsuspecting zoo visitors scattered as Khanzir dashed through the center of the zoo toward his enclosure.

One visitor, 17-year-old-Razaa, covered his nose and mouth with his t-shirt as the animal trotted past.

"It's a pig, it's the dirtiest thing, it might give me a disease," he said.

Two goats grazed quietly as their portly, pink porcine pal enthusiastically rubbed his snout in a small pool of mud.

Some human onlookers were not so comfortable.

"It is very haram (forbidden) and should not even been looked at. I don't think it should even be in the zoo," said another visitor named Nassim.

But others were intrigued.

"I think it's an interesting animal in terms of the way it looks. You can't really use it for anything ... it is haram and you shouldn't eat it," said 22-year old biology student Fatemeh.

Shabby and run-down, Kabul Zoo suffered badly during Afghanistan's three decades of war but is slowly improving.

Mujahideen fighters ate the deer and rabbits and shot dead the zoo's sole elephant during the 1992-94 civil war. Incoming shells shattered the aquarium.

Khanzir, who is about eight or nine years old according to Saqib, was one of a pair given to the zoo by China in 2002. His partner died about two years ago.

Afghanistan has reported no cases of the H1N1 flu virus.
(Editing by Paul Tait)

[thejellymill]

awwww Khanzir

that biology student is a weirdo, people need to be educated and obviously she's not getting adequate education as a biology student. pigs aren't useful (to muslims), does that mean we should also kill monkeys or tigers? they're not particularly useful in the sense that chickens, horses, donkeys or cattle are... they're still living creatures, and as far as i know it's only haraam to eat/buy/sell their meat, not look at them

[mekrob]

thejellymill said

awwww Khanzir

that biology student is a weirdo, people need to be educated and obviously she's not getting adequate education as a biology student. pigs aren't useful (to muslims), does that mean we should also kill monkeys or tigers? they're not particularly useful in the sense that chickens, horses, donkeys or cattle are... they're still living creatures, and as far as i know it's only haraam to eat/buy/sell their meat, not look at them

Who said anything about killing the pig?

[JiveTurkey]

thejellymill said

poor piggy


this has got to be one of the stupidest things i've heard..


he tried to avenge his half-wit brother against the lion? what an idiot. poor lion. eating the rabbits and deer is one thing, but why would they needlessly shoot the elephant?

Well Vengeance is one of the key elements of Pasthunwali cultural code, that's why there is so much tribalism and conflict because families are always avenging deaths. The lion had been living in Afghanistan long enough to know this. And the guy could've killed the lion but only injured it. He was just teaching him a lesson in Pashtunwali.

Remember this is a cross-cultural forum, you may not like other cultures but you can't make fun of them Gotta be PC guys

[TrentReznor858]

JiveTurkey said

Well Vengeance is one of the key elements of Pasthunwali cultural code, that's why there is so much tribalism and conflict because families are always avenging deaths. The lion had been living in Afghanistan long enough to know this. And the guy could've killed the lion but only injured it. He was just teaching him a lesson in Pashtunwali.

Remember this is a cross-cultural forum, you may not like other cultures but you can't make fun of them Gotta be PC guys

If you are joking thats still in poor taste. Those people are idiots; that guys brother deserved what he got.

[roberto]

Variable said

aww



That must be one of the world's safest pigs.

It's what goes for normal