DailyMail
15:59pm 1st December 2005
RSPCA officers were hunting today for a Vietnamese pot bellied pig that has been spotted on the run.
Several walkers have reported seeing a "large black pig" roaming across woodland near Minehead, in Somerset. But officers do not know if the animal has been abandoned or has escaped from an enclosure.
Several attempts to catch the pig, which has been seen regularly for the last three weeks, have failed and the RSPCA are now appealing for the owner to come forward.
RSPCA inspector Pete Barton, who is investigating, said: "At the moment it is impossible to tell whether the pig was abandoned in the area or whether it has escaped from a home nearby or it is constantly straying.
"If we can discover where the pig came from originally, it will be much easier to set about catching it. Then we can make a decision about where it will go once it is caught."
An RSPCA spokeswoman added: "It's not dangerous at all and if people do come across the pig they should contact us.
"There was a phase of people keeping pigs as pets, they are very friendly and clean despite their reputation."
The pig has a tag in its ear, a legal requirement which means it is registered with DEFRA.
but have you seen a Vietnamise Pot-bellied pig? Honestly they don't run very fast!