(Photo : Handout) They were cloned!


Two genetically modified pigs made their first media debut at a safari park in China, gathering lots of interest from tourists and locals alike.



The cloned pigs with black and white skin looked very similar to each other as they face the public at the Shenzhen Safari Park. Spectators observed that the two even behaved the same. The two animals are part of a genetic engineering program at the Beijing Genomics Institute in Shenzhen.



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According to institute director Dou Hongwei, one pig was cloned, while the other is an offspring of a cloned pig. The two had their GHR genes removed to be more suitable as pets.



"With that removed, their growth hormones would be rendered ineffectual. So these pics will never grow in size. The adult weight for these pigs is only about 15 kg," he said.



The pigs' appearance was due to a partnership between the China National GeneBank and the Shenzhen Safari Park.




Tagscloned pigs, genetically modified, pigs, weird news in China, Weird News, bizarre news, Safari Park, Shenzhen, Genetics, Genetic Engineering, Shenzhen Safari Park, Beijing Genomics Institute