Escaped pig dodges police as schoolchildren cheer

A pair of escaped pigs managed to duck and dodge police in West Kelowna, B.C., in front of a crowd of cheering schoolchildren Wednesday.

The chase unfolded outside Mar Jok Elementary on Wednesday morning, following reports that the pigs had been spotted on the loose in several locations eating rosebushes and wandering the streets, starting Tuesday afternoon.

Aside from RCMP, members of the regional district’s animal control team and volunteers with multiple animal rescue groups were involved in the chase.

Faith Affleck of Star’s Piggly Wiggly Sanctuary in the nearby community of Summerland was among those on the scene.

WATCH | Wild pig chase unfolds: 

Pigs evade capture by police (raw footage)

3 hours ago

Duration 3:13

Video taken by news outlet Castanet shows a pair of loose pigs leading police and animal control officers on a wild chase in West Kelowna, B.C. as students from a nearby elementary school cheer the animal on.

She said while the first pig was fairly easy to catch, the second one managed to evade the team, which included “four or five” police officers and close to a dozen other adults for nearly an hour.

Meanwhile, a group of elementary school-aged kids were cheering the pig on, adding to the chaotic scene.

A group of kids stand in a row.
Students from a nearby elementary school cheered the pigs on, fearing they would be eaten before Faith Affleck assured them they would be cared for at her sanctuary. (Castanet)

“They didn’t realize we were trying to help them,” Affleck said, saying she has just over 40 pigs in her care, describing them as “affectionate” and “better than dogs, in my opinion.”

While the first pig was secured inside a soccer net, the second one had to be pursued through walkways and into residential yards before it was secured.

LISTEN | Affleck describes the pig chase: 

Radio West10:16Students at a West Kelowna elementary school were given a front row view to a pig chase after two pigs wandered onto the school grounds after a day on the loose

Students at a West Kelowna elementary school were given a front row view to a pig chase after two pigs wandered onto the school grounds after a day on the loose

Now the pair of roughly five-month-old males are getting used to life in Affleck’s sanctuary.

“Hopefully their owners come … otherwise, they’ll stay with us forever,” she said.

Pigs asleep together on a bed in a garage.
Faith Affleck says the pigs are now settling into her rescue. (Faith Affleck)

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Posted in CBC