Scientists in China to sell genetically engineered mini pigs as pets

Owning tiny pets that will always remain the same size is going to become possible in the near future. Scientists in China have announced that they are going to sell genetically engineered miniature pigs as pets for around $1,600 each.

BGI, a genomics institute located in Shenzhen, will create these micro-pigs with the help of a gene-editing technique, which alters the genomes of a Bama – a small breed of pig – to make it even smaller, according to a report in The Huffington Post . These micro-pigs only grow up to 30 pounds when mature, which is around the same weight as a medium-sized dog.

Originally these creatures were used as lab animals that were used as models for drug testing, according to Nature magazine.