Search is on in for a potentially dangerous Vietnamese pot-bellied pig on the loose in Clare.
It is an unusual working week for Irish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) dog warden Frankie Coote in County Clare. Much of his time has been taken up with trying to locate a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig, believed to be roaming wild on a 1.5 mile stretch between Ennis and Barefield.
The pig, which may have been a pet, was first sighted in the Corrovorrin housing estate in Ennis in 2002 but now,
The pig's becoming a bit of a menace.
A woman going to work was chased and frightened by the animal. The pig has also chased an elderly man going home and has caused problems with farm animals. Frankie Coote explains,
He put 18 cattle out of their field.
Recordings of piggery sounds are just one of the means being used in an attempt to lure the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig from his hideout. The pig has already proven he is dangerous to farm animals and Frankie Coote fears the pig could harm children or elderly people.
The sooner we get him in, you know, the better.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 8 August 2003. The reporter is Cathy Halloran.
