In a heartwarming story recently emerged in Shaanxi, China, a pig named “Zhu Da” (Big Pig) exhibited incredible resilience, earning the nickname “Pig Strong 2.0”. Zhu Da, a domestic pig in the city of Shangluo, Shaanxi Province, was buried under mudslides for a staggering 36 days before being rescued by its owner. Despite losing about 40 kilograms of weight and appearing extremely thin when unearthed, Zhu Da miraculously survived.
On September 9th, a netizen shared a video claiming that a pig in Donghe Village, Zhashui County, Shangluo City, had miraculously survived after being buried under mudslides for 36 days.
The video showed the pig trapped in a small space under some slabs of stone, with people slowly clearing the surrounding mud and debris. As the pig’s head emerged, it could be seen using its snout to dig through the soil, displaying a strong will to survive. The entire rescue process lasted approximately one and a half hours, culminating in the successful extraction of the pig.
According to a report by “Live Stream Directly”, on September 10th, a villager named Xiao Dang from Donghe Village of Zhashui County stated that they had two pigs named Zhu Da and Zhu Er at home since March this year, along with two rabbits.
Xiao Dang explained that on August 5th, their pigpen was completely buried by mudslides caused by flooding in Zhashui County. At the time, when he learned about the incident while in the county seat, his immediate reaction was one of extreme fear. His sister called to inform him that Zhu Er had managed to escape on its own, but Zhu Da was trapped inside. Everyone initially assumed that Zhu Da had perished, as the mud completely engulfed the pigpen and blocked any access, making it unimaginable for the pig to still be alive.
Zhu Da, who had been raised with great care by their parents for over half a year, left Xiao Dang deeply heartbroken upon hearing about its entrapment.
On September 9th, while Xiao Dang’s father and uncle were clearing the blocked road, they suddenly heard the pig squealing. Following the sound, they dug for an hour and a half before finally rescuing Zhu Da. Xiao Dang expressed his astonishment, questioning how the pig managed to survive for 36 days underground. When Zhu Da was uncovered, it had lost at least 80 kilograms and looked visibly emaciated.
Xiao Dang speculated that Zhu Da might have survived by consuming mud and sand during its ordeal.
Looking ahead, Xiao Dang stated that they would continue to care for Zhu Da and not slaughter it.
Another villager confirmed the incident, with everyone finding it truly unbelievable. “To think the pig could survive for over a month is shocking.”
The video sparked discussions among netizens, with comments such as, “Isn’t this the real-life version of Pig Strong?,” “Surviving for 36 days without food or water is truly unbelievable,” and “Even watching through a screen is awe-inspiring.”
This incident echoes the memory of “Pig Strong” from the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. In that event, a domestic pig from Pengzhou, Sichuan Province, was trapped under rubble for 36 days during the earthquake and managed to survive on charcoal and rainwater, experiencing significant weight loss from about 300 kilograms to 100 kilograms. Subsequently, museum director Fan Jianchuan purchased the pig for 3,008 RMB and named it “Pig Strong.” In June 2021, at the age of 14, this resilient pig passed away due to old age and exhaustion.