A "very smart" pig causing traffic issues along Auckland's State Highway 16, near Te Atatu, has finally been caught after evading capture for more than a week.
Waka Kotahi, police and Auckland Council's Animal Control team had set up traps to capture the wayward swine since July 24, but the earlier attempts had all been unsuccessful.
While slow-going traffic is nothing new to commuters on Auckland's Northwestern Motorway, a sunbathing pig is not the usual culprit. (Source: 1News)
Animal Control were this afternoon alerted by police that the "roaming pig of SH16" had finally succumbed to the lure of food, Auckland Council said today in a media release.
"True to its name, the pig could no longer ignore the food in the trap set by Animal Management officers Tuesday and wandered into cage this afternoon.
"The camera set up by Waka Kotahi to monitor the area the pig had been seen frequenting, alerted officers it was trapped."
The pig was loaded into a trailer "without incident" by police and Waka Kotahi, where it was taken to the Henderson Animal Shelter.
It will remain at the shelter until it is claimed by its owner. If the pig is unclaimed, the council will begin the rehoming process, the council said.
"We’re delighted to have caught this animal. 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 SH 16," the council's Animal Management Officer, Clarke Trethowen, said.
On Tuesday this week the pig caused traffic to back up on the Te Atatu on ramp as it sunbathed next to the motorway.
"The naughty piggy is very smart — he/she is still on the run and evading capture," a council spokesperson said at the time.
The pig first made headlines on July 22 when someone reported that "a pig was running on the North-Western Motorway near the Te Atatu Road off-ramp".
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