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Afghanistan Quarantines Its Lone Pig

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted May 6, 2009 1:23 PM CDT

(Newser) – Kabul Zoo officials have locked up the only known pig in Afghanistan to allay visitors' fears that it might spread swine flu, Reuters reports. Pork is illegal in Afghanistan for religious reasons; the country’s lone porcine resident is a zoo animal. “For now, the pig is under quarantine,” said the zoo director. “We built it a room.”

With no other pigs around and no civilian flights between Kabul and Mexico, the odds of the pig getting the disease, much less passing it to humans, are astronomical. “We understand that,” the zoo director said. “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.”

In this file photo taken Monday, April 27, 2009, people feed a pig at the Baghdad Zoo, Iraq. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

A Meishan pig photographed at the Tierpark zoo in Berlin on Friday, Dec. 28, 2007. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

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Karzai: Pakistan Behind Kabul Attack

Death toll hits 60 in twin Afghanistan bombings

58 Killed in Rare Attacks on Afghan Shiites

They mark first major sectarian assaults in a decade

US Had Secret Talks With Haqqani Network

Meeting was set up by Pakistan's ISI

NATO Nabs Haqqani Leader in Afghanistan

'Revered elder' in Taliban-affiliated group is captured

Afghanistan Ditches 3-Way Peace Talks

Won't attend US-Pakistan meetings after ex-president's assassination

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Afghanistan • Kabul • zoo • swine flu • H1N1 virus

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Karzai: Pakistan Behind Kabul Attack

Death toll hits 60 in twin Afghanistan bombings

58 Killed in Rare Attacks on Afghan Shiites

They mark first major sectarian assaults in a decade

US Had Secret Talks With Haqqani Network

Meeting was set up by Pakistan's ISI

NATO Nabs Haqqani Leader in Afghanistan

'Revered elder' in Taliban-affiliated group is captured

Afghanistan Ditches 3-Way Peace Talks

Won't attend US-Pakistan meetings after ex-president's assassination

About Us

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Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

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More News

What is Newser?