A pair of swan geese reluctant to be parted has reminded their owner of an online story about a similar couple that appeared last year, which changed their fate。

A man surnamed Qi, owner of a swan farm in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province, said he intended to sell the pair to a customer around New Year's Day.

When he tied up the male swan goose, the female thought they would be separated and showed strong resistance. They looked at each other and touched their beaks together.

Qi recalled a wide-spread online video that showed two geese unwilling to part in South China's Guangdong Province last February. One was later slaughtered.

He was so moved by their affection that he decided to give up the trade.

"Maybe animals are like human beings," Qi said.