Meet Khanzir, the only pig in all of Afghanistan.

Pigs are a true rarity there, as pork and other pig-related products are illegal for religious reasons.

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"By and large, most Afghans have never seen a pig in their life," Aziz Gul Saqib, director of the Kabul Zoo, told The Washington Post.

See more of this special creature:



5 PHOTOS Khanzir may be the loneliest pig in the world See Gallery Khanzir may be the loneliest pig in the world Two Afghan zookeepers watch as Afghanistan's only known pig, Khanzir, eats at the Kabul Zoo November 2, 2009. The Afghan government ordered closure of all educational institutions for a period of three weeks due to the dramatic rise of H1N1 flu cases and after its first death from the virus last week. The pig, a curiosity in Muslim Afghanistan where pork and pig products are illegal because they are considered irreligious, was quarantined in July 2009 because visitors to the zoo were worried it could spread the H1N1 flu strain. The pig was released out of quarantine on July 4. REUTERS/Oleg Popov (AFGHANISTAN ANIMALS HEALTH SOCIETY IMAGES OF THE DAY) Afghan zoo workers walk next to Afghanistan's only known pig in Kabul Zoo July 4, 2009. The pig trotted out of quarantine on Saturday, two months after he was locked away because of swine flu fears, to bask again in the mud at the Kabul Zoo. REUTERS/Hamid Sayedi (AFGHANISTAN HEALTH ANIMALS) Afghans look at Afghanistan's only known pig in Kabul Zoo July 4, 2009. The pig trotted out of quarantine on Saturday, two months after he was locked away because of swine flu fears, to bask again in the mud at the Kabul Zoo. REUTERS/Hamid Sayedi (AFGHANISTAN HEALTH SOCIETY ANIMALS IMAGES OF THE DAY) Afghans look at a domestic pig at Kabul's zoo during the Eid Al-Fitr festival December 6, 2002. Muslims celebrate the Eid al-Fitr festival to mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, when Muslims across the globe refrain from eating, drinking and sexual relations from dawn until dusk. REUTERS/Radu Sigheti RS/CP Pigs are such a novelty in Afghanistan that they're worthy of showing off at the Kabul Zoo. In fact, this unnamed boar donated by China is believed to be the only domesticated pig in the country. (Rezwan Natiq/MCT via Getty Images) Up Next See Gallery Discover More Like This HIDE CAPTION SHOW CAPTION of SEE ALL BACK TO SLIDE

Khanzir, named for the Pashtu word for pig, was donated by China to the Kabul Zoo in 2002, along with a female piglet.

The pair even went on to mate and have their own little family -- but a terrible tragedy in 2006 changed Khanzir's life forever.

The New York Times reports that problems with inexperienced staff members led to an incident where one of the zoo's bears attacked and killed the piglets. Khanzir's mate was severely injured and died later as a result, according to The Washington Post.

Khanzir has sadly been without a porcine companion ever since.

The famed pig was also placed in quarantine for a brief period during the swine flu panic in 2009, according to the BBC. He was temporarily taken from his enclose that he shares with deer and goats, and isolated as fears of the illness spread through Afghanistan.

Khanzir is old and frail these days, but his keepers report that the 500-lb. animal has a healthy appetite and shares a special bond with all those who care for him.

The zoo would love to find him a companion, but hasn't had much luck so far.

"We've requested other nations to help us populate the zoo with different species of animals, including a pig," Aziz Gul Saqib Saqib told The Washington Post. "But we haven't had anyone commit to sending a friend for Khanzir as yet."

We hope one day Khanzir will find a sweet swine to spend his golden years with.

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