Khaberni - A Chinese man found pieces of gold inside the stomach of a duck after slaughtering it for cooking, in an incident that surprised followers and opened up questions about how these precious pieces ended up inside the bird.
The “Indian Express” newspaper reported that Liu, from Longhui region in Hunan province, discovered gold particles valued at 162,000 Rupees (about $1800) in the duck's stomach during February.
A burn test confirmed that the particles were indeed real gold, weighing about 10 grams and valued at about 12,000 yuan (about 162,000 Rupees).
Gold-Filled Mud
Liu's father saw this discovery as a good omen for the coming year, and explained that the duck was raised in open pastures near a river that was once known for gold mining, and it might have swallowed mud containing gold.
According to a report by the South China Morning Post, gold cannot be digested or absorbed by the body, and usually passes through the digestive system without any harm. However, large or impure gold pieces can sometimes cause intestinal blockage or poisoning in both humans and animals alike.
Liu mentioned that such findings are not strange, adding that some other villagers had also found gold in ducks before, though not in such quantities.
In turn, the Longhui Provincial Natural Resources Office informed Jiubai News Agency that an examination by a specialized entity is required to confirm that the particles are indeed gold. Officials added that villagers found more than 10 grams of gold while washing sand in the same river last year.
Ancient Practice
An official told “The Paper” online newspaper that determining the ownership of the gold found in the duck could be complicated. This rare discovery also highlights an ancient practice dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), where farmers collected gold particles from the droppings of ducks and geese.
Gold prices in China range from 1140 to 1190 yuan per gram.
On another note, the report mentioned that a woman in Chengdu city transformed 6 grams of gold jewelry into gold nail ornaments during the Spring Festival.
