Pig which evaded capture, shut Auckland highway, up for adoption

Kevin Bacon is at the Henderson Animal Shelter until he finds a new home. Photo / Supplied

The fugitive pig which closed an Auckland highway and was on the run for nearly two weeks is now looking to put his life on the run behind him and find a forever home.

Kevin Bacon, who held up traffic at the Te Atatū offramp while evading authorities, is up for adoption from the Henderson Animal Shelter after ending his rampage earlier this month.

In a Facebook post, Auckland City Council said the young swine was looking for a nice quiet, free-range home to call his own.

“He is slowly warming up to people and will come and take your yummy offerings!”

Anyone who wants to meet the spritely porker is asked to email the shelter and fill out an application form.

The pig brought traffic to a halt on Auckland’s Northwestern motorway on August 1. Photo / Waka Kotahi NZTA

“If you meet the criteria, we will contact you to arrange an appointment to come and meet him,” the post said.

Auckland motorways manager, senior sergeant Scott Cunningham, said Bacon had resisted being caught previously, and clearly was too big and smart for officers to use catch poles.

“Suggestions of destroying the animal were initially seen as the only plan, but Motorways Sergeant Jonny Campbell and Auckland Council’s animal control officer Jade Cathcart persevered with a more humane option,” Cunningham said.

A camera set up by Waka Kotahi to monitor the area the pig was frequenting alerted officers that he had finally been caught.

It was a simple banana that eventually tempted Bacon back into captivity.

The pig was loaded into a trailer “without incident” and taken to the Henderson Animal Shelter.

Auckland Council’s animal management officer Clarke Trethowen said they were delighted Bacon had been captured.

“It’s eluded everyone for some time but it’s satisfying to know it is safely enclosed and no longer a danger to motorists on the busy SH16.”

Cathcart told RNZ earlier this month it took a few goes and the right food to win him over.

“We just googled what do pigs eat and came up with corn, melons and bananas; yeah, he took to the bananas, ate them all up, and set the trap off.”

Then he was loaded on to a trailer and taken to the Henderson Animal Shelter.

Auckland's rogue motorway pig was finally caught. Photo / Auckland Council

“We had a lot of calls coming through, like at least three a day and it was just impossible to catch on foot.”

Cathcart told RNZ the road hog was not only smart but fast.

“The first week that the pig was there, me, and I think four other policemen, were just tracking through that bush part and it was near impossible, he just ran straight through.”