Fugitive pigs found 'safe and fat' after month on the run in Lancashire

Three saddleback sows had escaped from woodland pen, but one had remained behind

(Lancashire Wildlife Trust)

A group of fugitive pigs that have been on the run for almost a month have been found "safe and fat."

The three rebel saddleback sows were discovered after tracking their distinctive dung.

They were tackled by farmers and wildlife staff and “after a bit of pig wrestling” returned to their enclosure in the Forest of Bowland.

However the three little pigs were not so small anymore, according to the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, who said they doubled in size during their sojourn.

The pigs had been munching on so many acorns they had become rather fat during their delinquency.

LWT East Lancashire Reserves Officer Phil Dykes told The Independent: “They had dug their way underneath the pen we kept them in and had covered a couple of miles since their escape.

"I was following their dung up and down the valley, and became a bit of an expert in the end. The funny thing is although three pigs escaped, one stayed at home.”

The pigs were being used as part of a traditional woodland management regeneration scheme, to keep the grass short and benefit the environment. Despite their adventure, the pigs seem happy to be back in their pen.

(Lancashire Wildlife Trust)