Lucky pig offered insurance policy against further disasters
The strong-willed pig that survived 36 days under the rubble of a building felled by the May 12 earthquake has been offered a free insurance policy against disasters, accidents and disease for the next 10 years.
A Sichuan property insurance company said it was extending a 5,000 yuan (HK$5,694) policy to the pig, nicknamed Zhu Jianqiang (persistent, or strong-willed, pig), and hailed it as a symbol of the determination to live.
'The miracle created by 'Mr Strong Will' will inspire victims of the May 12 quake and encourage Sichuan people to rebuild their hometowns, and accelerate production and development,' the company said yesterday.
The firm said the insurance policy was tailored to the pig's needs, and the value was five times the usual insurance payout for a lost pig.
The curator of the Jianchuan Museum in Chengdu , which bought the pig for 3,008 yuan after it emerged from the ruins of its sty, is expected to be the beneficiary.
Curator Fan Jianchuan is preparing to apply to Guinness World Records on behalf of the pig, which has its own room in the museum and has been exhibited to the public as a living symbol of the disaster. But some netizens have criticised Mr Fan and the insurance company for treating the pig like a human and turning it into an idol.
Vets were amazed at the pig's survival, because it was thought that pigs could last for only about five days without food or water.
