Lost hikers hide in tree to escape 'growling feral pig' which turns out to be rumble strips
Woman says wild hog is following her and urges park officers to hurry
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Two lost hikers took refuge in a tree from what they thought was a ‘growling’ feral pig before calling the police, park authorities said.
However, it turned out to be the sound of cars passing over rumble strips on a nearby road.
San Antonio Police Department received a call from a woman in the Government Canyon State Park in Texas who said that a wild pig had been following and growling at her.
Park officers searched her last reported location but were unable to locate her.
The park officer then rang the woman to reassure her help was on the way and asked her to send her location using her mobile phone.
While on the phone, the woman warned the park officer that the hog was nearby and urged him to hurry.
After hiking to the location, the officer found the woman and a man hiding in a tree. The woman told him she had last heard the pig a few minutes before he arrived.
The officer then heard a car drive over the rumble strips on a nearby road and noticed that the pair’s body language changed.
The officer asked if they believed the noise they just heard was a pig and both nodded. He then told them that what they had heard was just a car passing over rumble strips.
“The lost hikers were reassured by the officer that the unknown can be scary and their reaction surprisingly common,” a statement from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reads.
Hogs were introduced to Texas by Spanish explorers over 300 years ago and an estimated 1.5m now live in the state.
The park authority warns that the animal’s “razor sharp tusks combined with their lightning speed” can cause serious injury.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments