A two-headed pig in China has been saved from the slaughterhouse, though may still face a tough fight for life.
The newborn piglet, which was born in a village in Jiujiang, east China’s Jiangxi province, has a pair of snouts, two ears and a shared eye.
Sadly, the chances of survival aren’t looking terribly strong for this little oinker – after inspection by a local vet, it was decided the two-headed pig would do well to make it through to adulthood.
However, the owners have agreed not to slaughter the rare animal.
The condition that causes such mutations is known as axial bifurcation, or polycephaly.
It can occur in animals or humans, and is what happens when an embryo begins to split into twins, only for the process to be interrupted in its early stages. This is how conjoined twins are formed.
Polycephaly is, thankfully, a rare condition. However, the condition has been observed before in other animals.
Only last month, a two-headed shark fetus was caught off the Florida Keys, while a two-faced cat named Frank and Louie melted the hearts of the Internet in February.
You can see more of Frank and Louise in the clip below:
