Appeal after pigs run loose in Limavady forest

Pigs running loose in Loughermore Forest outside Limavady have sparked an appeal by a group that helps re-home animals to ask for help in catching them.
One of the pigs thats been running loose around Loughermore Forest.One of the pigs thats been running loose around Loughermore Forest.
One of the pigs thats been running loose around Loughermore Forest.

It’s believed the pigs were dumped, and have been living in Loughermore Forest for a number of months. There have been numerous sightings of the porkers around the woods.

Bronagh McAtasney, a volunteer that helps run the Facebook page ‘Pets Lost and Found Northern Ireland’, said the pigs came to their attention when they were contacted by a local resident on the New Line Road, a road off the forest.

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Bronagh said the woman said the pig was wandering about and was “quite friendly”. She said it was fed, and even managed to get it into a barn. However, it disappeared but came back with a piglet. She said the pig has come back on numerous occasions since, but alone. Bronagh said they have plans to get the animals to a shelter, thanks to a local man who is prepared to transport them, but they need to catch them first, which is proving to be a problem given the size of the forest.

The pig and piglet.The pig and piglet.
The pig and piglet.

“We do have a rescue plan in place, but we can’t catch them,” she said.

Bronagh said they’re concerned for the welfare of the animals as the pig is becoming thin and appeared to be dehydrated when it last visited the resident’s home, and drank “a barrel of water”.

She urges anyone who sees the pigs not to approach them as they may become agressive.

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Bronagh said she has been in touch with officials from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the police about the pigs. She said they’re concerned if the pigs posed a hazards to road users, they could be shot.

Bronagh urged anyone who sees the pigs, or who can help catch them to message ‘Pets Lost and Found Northern Ireland’ via their Facebook page.

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