There’s No Saving Grace For This Bacon — Boar Goes Shopping In Hong Kong

Usually it’s a case of bacon leaving the store, not the other way round! But no one told this boar that it should avoid shopping malls at any cost when it wandered into Paradise Mall in Heng Fa Chuen, Hong Kong. While many thought there was no point in saving the bacon, police and animal control officers took control of the situation and after a four hour standoff, managed to tranquilize the boar and remove it safely from the store. The adventurous breathing bacon was taken to an animal management center for observation.

The animal left its normal rural settings and entered the shopping mall for no apparent reason, other than it had been saving its pennies in order to check out the apparel in a children’s clothing store. While the bacon was reported to be a juvenile pig of roughly 90cm in length and 25 kilograms (approximately 55 pounds), there is no evidence suggesting the animal found anything in its size in the store.

There was no saving the bacon, however, when it managed to climb up onto the store’s false ceiling and fell through. While it was not injured, the animal bit at a mannequin it knocked over and then became trapped in a changing room. The shop owner was not surprised by the bacon’s antics.

“It just came in out of nowhere, and turned around at the show window. It also pushed open the fitting room door and got in… Pigs are actually not stupid.”

Although passersby who saw the whole event had no qualms about questioning the intelligence of the 10 police who took four hours to capture the animal.

“Even a wild pig can beat you all?”

It turned out to be a big news day for pigs in Hong Kong, with the same report indicating a much larger boar took a dip in a pool at a Tsuen Wan park. This pig was also rescued, this time by Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department officers.

The Wild Pig or Eurasian Wild Pig is one of the largest mammals in Hong Kong, with many reaching a body mass of 200 kilograms (approximately 440 pounds) and a length of 2 meters (approximately 6.5 feet). These animal usually live within rural and forested areas, but as was evidenced by today’s events, they see no boundaries when it comes to exploring. These animals have been considered a pest in recent years and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department suggest people steer clear when they see a boar in residential areas and avoid scaring them as they are considered dangerous when riled.

There is no evidence to suggest either of these animals became bacon as a result of their escapades. There is also no evidence to suggest the pigs were affiliated with the Church of Bacon.

[Image credit: South China Morning Post]