Chinese authorities have collected 48 pig carcasses discarded along the Yellow River and are conducting tests for water quality and hog disease, according to state media on Tuesday.
Two people suspected of dumping the pigs have been identified and will be investigated, according to Banyuetan, a magazine run by state news agency Xinhua, citing the local government. Authorities took samples from the pigs and river water for examination, and pigs on nearby farms would be tested, it said.
The magazine reported Monday that dozens of pig carcasses had been discovered on the Inner Mongolia section of China’s second-longest river and some were rotting in the water, turning the spotlight back onto food and water safety. The authorities also found 17 dead sheep and one cow carcass and vowed to crackdown on the practice of discarding dead animals, it said.
The latest discovery comes as China’s hog herd is recovering from the ravages of African swine fever. The disease broke out in the country in 2018 and destroyed almost half the hogs in the world’s largest pork producer. Concerns over food safety and rising costs of pork production have accelerated the closure of small pig farms in favor of larger, more efficient facilities.