PIG BARKS LIKE A DOG

KERESLEY, U.K. -- A pig named Babe is proving that life imitates art by pretending to be a dog.

But where the star of the film "Babe" speaks, Babe the pig from the Old Shepherd pub in Coventry, England barks and growls like her best friend, a Staffordshire bull cross called Henry.

Pub licensees Kingsley and Nikki Stanton said their pets have become inseparable ever since 35-year-old Kingsley acquired Babe while drinking with a friend.

He said, "We were drinking doubles - my friend had just become a father of twins - and I bought a pig from someone we met. It seemed a good idea at the time.

"Babe growls with Henry but if he barks, then she quite often joins in. She still grunts and snorts like pigs do but it would not seem unusual to her to make some of the same noises he does."

Nikki, 34, said she was wary when her husband brought the piglet home but has come round to the idea.

"Babe gets on so well with Henry that the pair are now inseparable. They eat, sleep and play together and are the best of friends," she said.