Animal Lovers Back Call To Stop Roast Pig Offering

Animal rights activists on Friday applauded an appeal by City University to ask all departments to consider halting the traditional practice of serving up whole roasted pigs at celebrations and opening ceremonies.

The call came after the school’s new Veterinary Medical Centre in Sham Shui Po was roundly criticised online for serving up two porcine offerings at its opening ceremony – with many pointing out that the facility had killed two animals before it had treated any.

The university explained that roast pigs are part of a traditional ritual in Hong Kong that’s held when a new building is completed, but senior management agreed that all departments should be asked to consider scrapping the practice in future.

Roni Wong from the Hong Kong Wild Boar Concern Group was among those who welcomed the move, saying he hopes other organisations will follow suit.

"This ceremony should be progressively cancelled because it is not a good practise or a civilised behaviour", he said, adding that people can celebrate the openings of new facilities in many different ways without having to kill an animal.