After going viral, this self-willed swine is caught in Orange County but needs a home
The saga of a wayward pig that captured the attention of Orange County over the weekend seems to have come to an end.
The large hog — tusked, furry, and to some, cuddly — was caught Monday after being spotted in the woods and shaking up a social media storm.
“We’ve been getting calls about it all day,” said Tenille Fox, spokeswoman for Orange County Animal Services, on Monday.
Fox told The News & Observer that Animal Services caught the large, pot-bellied pig after a resident in the western part of the county called in a sighting before noon.
But the pig now needs a new home.
An owner came forward after a Facebook post with a photo of the animal went viral over the weekend, Fox said, but could not reclaim ownership of the pig.
“We will work towards the best possible outcome for the pig, hopefully a good home,” she said. “We will seek to rehome the pig with a rescue or placement partner.”
The pig is not up for public adoption. Fox declined to say how the pig got loose when it was first seen in a resident’s yard in Efland.
Attempts to confine the swine were made previously, but the “pig appears to be somewhat fearful of humans and clever at avoiding confinement,” Fox said.
The pig is currently sheltered, eating and “is tired from the whole ordeal,” she said.
Many pigs end up in the wild when they grow up and their owners underestimate the responsibility of caring for them, she added.
“We are hoping to find the owner of this pig that is currently loose in Efland, NC,” Animal Services previously wrote in a Facebook post. “Our officers are working to safely confine the pig, and hoping that someone has been missing a pig so that it does not have to enter a shelter.”
The furry beast was lauded in Facebook comments as an “adorable baby,” “a big boy,” and “one happy dude!”
Another Facebook commenter said it was reminiscent of Falkor, the big white dragon of “The Neverending Story.”
Pigs can be destructive
But don’t be fooled: These pigs, feral hogs or wild boars can destroy wildlife habitats and cause an estimated $1.5 billion per year in damages to crops, landscaping and cultural sites across the U.S., according to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
The hogs also carry a variety of diseases that pose “substantial risk” to livestock, wildlife, humans and even pets, the commission says.
This self-willed swine looks like a wild boar due to its size and two big tusks protruding from its mouth. But all pigs grow tusks, regardless of whether they are wild or domesticated, according to petpigworld.com.
Most female pigs grow tusks that don’t grow large enough to stick out, which means the double-tusker is probably a boy.
“Sometimes, otherwise gentle pigs can appear aggressive when they’re scared or feel threatened,” Anna O’Neal, founder and primary caretaker at Jenna and Friends Animal Sanctuary in Chapel Hill, wrote in an email.
As to the origins of the hog? Maybe a lost friend of the Carolina Hurricanes’ signature pig, Hamilton?
“All domestic pig breeds are descendant from the Eurasian wild boar, and when allowed to roam wild, can quickly revert to the habits and physical characteristics of their wild ancestors,” the wildlife commission explains.
This story was originally published February 5, 2023 at 3:50 PM.
