'Mutant pig' with 8 legs dies minutes after birth in China
A 'mutant piglet' with two bodies and eight legs died minutes after being born on a farm in China.
Farmer Gao Baiqi, who owns the sow, said he had 'never ever seen anything like it' and was shocked by the piglet, which appeared to have a parasitic twin.
Mr Baiqi, who lives in Fe County in Linyi City in China's eastern Shandong Province, said he found the conjoined twins together with the rest of the sow's litter after they were born.
Gao Baiqi (pictured with the piglet), who lives in Shandong Province, said he had 'never ever seen anything like it' and was shocked by the infant which appeared to have a parasitic twin
The farmer had planned to hand-rear the animal, born with underdeveloped skin, which kicked and struggled before it suddenly stopped breathing.
'Besides having one head, two bodies and eight legs, the piglet appeared normal and had all other organs,' Mr Baiqi said.
He added: 'I had prepared milk and wanted to feed it myself, but it died in a few minutes.'
The farmer had planned to hand-rear the animal (pictured), born with underdeveloped skin, which kicked and struggled before it suddenly stopped breathing
Mr Baiqi has yet to find a scientific explanation for his 'mutant piggy'.
But reports said the birth defect was likely the result of an egg that had not split properly - similar to human conjoined twins.
Mr Baiqi buried the piglet on his farm after showing it to curious residents living nearby.