The Ungrateful Survivor

A big pig in the Snow. Image source: Here

In China there has been an on-line poll seeking "Animals who moved China."

The winner is a pig who amazingly survived burial for 36 days following the colossal earthquake at Sichuan last May.  According to the International Herald Tribune, the animal kept going by eating charcoal and drinking rainwater.

Since its rescue, the pig has been treated like the conquering hero, having been given a new home in a museum.  Unfortunately it seems that the pig's new life has rather changed its character; as the article reports:

"It's gotten fatter and lazier by the day," [the report] quoted staff as saying. "We used to take it out for a walk every morning and afternoon, but it's too lazy -- and too fat -- to do it."

And the pig is getting fed up with visitors, after initially being quite friendly.

"Now it just blocks the door to its bedroom when there are too many visitors outside. It's been increasingly difficult for us to convince it to open the door." 

Animals are like that: I remember as a child spending time trying to make a little "house" for the family cat.  Once "construction" was completed I tried to persuade the cat to enter his new home.  The result was a big fuss and some nasty scratches; a learning experience that has remained with me to this day.

Until the next time