Canadian Breeding Swine Fly In Style To New Home
By ANN Associate Editor Rob Finfrock
China Southern Airlines -- which touts its aircraft as "the
largest and most technically advanced fleet in The People's
Republic of China" -- recently put that fleet to good use, by
flying a load of special "passengers" from its cargo hub at
Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to Shenzhen, China.
The passengers onboard the specially-equipped 747-400 weren't
celebrities, rock stars, or influential and knowledgeable
government figures. Heck, they weren't even relatives (living or
deceased) of Richard E. Daley, nor did they have any ties to ANN's
own Kevin "Hognose" O'Brien.
They were pigs... real pigs, Canadian breeding pigs heading to
their new home at a livestock company in Henan Province. This was
the second such flight of pigs this year, according to a China
Southern press release, as the Chinese work to build that country's
pork-production capacity.
In all, 470 flying pigs -- alliteratively called "prized
purebred porkers" in the release -- were onboard the China Southern
cargo flight... and they had to go through boarding and unloading
procedures we pray the TSA never catch wind of, lest they get any
ideas:
- First step: An O'Hare International Airport fire engine was
guided into position so it could spray disinfectant over the
vehicles holding the pigs, and the parking bay for the China
Southern freighter.
- Second step: Upon arrival in The Middle Kingdom after a 14-hour
trip (including a refueling stop in Anchorage, AK) Chinese airport
workers in Shenzhen used fire hoses to shower disinfectant on the
entire freighter. We understand they used the "New Plane"
scent.
- Third Step: China Southern Airlines cargo workers -- wearing
headgear, surgical masks and gloves -- carefully unloaded the
ponderous pallets of precious porkers (E-I-C Note: Stop
that!) from the aircraft. Then, quarantine clerks began the
final stage of disinfection as they again sprayed antiseptic around
the wooden cages ... while animal physicians checked the quantity,
type and health condition of pigs in each cage.
Quarantine officials
also inspected all necessary documents, to insure there were no
illegal alien pigs onboard.
Throughout the 14-hour journey from America to China, airline
crew maintained a moderate temperature in the baggage compartment
of 61 degrees Fahrenheit and provided fresh, clean air for the
baggage compartment using the aircraft's modern (we really, really
hope so) air conditioning system.
Each of the 470 pigs also enjoyed three more inflight meals en
route than you're likely to get on United.
After a 45-day stay in quarantine, the pigs will be sent off to
their new home... which, thankfully, the press release didn't get
into too much detail about.