The pig that survived the devastating earthquake in 2008 in Sichuan has passed away on the night of June 16 at a local museum.
Zhu Jianqiang (translated as “The Resilient Pig”), 14 years old, died at 10:50 PM on June 16 due to old age, according to an announcement from a museum in Sichuan, China.
Zhu Jianqiang in January 2021. (Photo: REX).
On the social media platform Weibo, many people expressed their condolences for Zhu Jianqiang’s passing. “Thank you for showing us the greatness of life,” one user commented. “We were worried that the pig wouldn’t make it past May 12, but it ultimately lived for another month. It truly was a resilient pig,” another user wrote.
Previously, on May 10, the museum management announced that Zhu Jianqiang was very weak, raising concerns among netizens that the pig would not be able to attend the memorial for the 13th anniversary of the earthquake on May 12. Many people flocked to the museum to bid farewell to the famous pig.
Zhu Jianqiang’s former owner told the press that he was very sad to hear about the beloved pig’s death. However, he also felt relieved, as he had always wished for the pig to pass away naturally.
Zhu Jianqiang survived for 36 days trapped under the rubble after the powerful 8.0 magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province. To stay alive, Zhu Jianqiang ate charcoal and drank rainwater for over a month before being rescued. Shortly thereafter, Zhu Jianqiang became famous for its resilience.
