Meet the world's loneliest pig...
an Afghanistan pig

The world's loneliest pig is an Afghanistan pig. He was released from isolation in early July, 2009, after spending a couple of months in quarantined isolation.

The poor thing was locked up after Afghans began to panic about getting the "swine flue." Even though there is only one pig in all of Afghanistan, many were worried about contracting the virus.

In a country with such high illiteracy, it's challenging to explain the virus is transmitted person-to-person.

Muslim Afghanistan considers pork and pork products illegal, and have commonly kept a pig only for curiosity. The Kabul Zoo usually keeps the world's loneliest pig in a cement enclosure, eating field corn husks.

This summer the pig is enjoying grass in a walled enclosure. His mate died (eaten by the Zoo's bear), so he has made friends with the goats.