These little half-piggies will go to market

Two sows in a village near Zhuanghe, a city in Liaoning province, gave birth to 17 piglets after mating with boars.

"After seeing two big boars around our village last year, I left my sow outside the courtyard at night so it could mate with one of them. I also left food out there because I knew that the boars were looking for something to eat," Liu, one of the sow owners, said.

Another villager, surnamed Zhang, said she had done the same with her sow.

Later, both sows were found pregnant.

"All of the hybrid piglets are growing well," Liu said on Thursday. "These pigs can be sold at a good price in the market as they have become very popular."

(Peninsula Morning Post)

Mystery crane deaths have experts stumped

At least 17 red-crowned cranes, a protected species, have died from poisoning and two others have been rescued since early March in Panjin county of Panshan, Liaoning province.

Experts investigating the deaths said they were not caused by bird flu or any related disease.

Police said it was the most serious case of its type in the area in recent years.

"Fortunately, the two poisoned cranes we rescued are out of danger," police said.

(Chinese Business Morning View)

(China Daily 04/12/2008 page10)