Runaway Potbellied Pig Camps Under Pine Tree on Detroit's Hendricks Street

A potbellied pig has spent the better part of a week living under a pine tree on Detroit's east side, resisting capture by neighbors and police while a longtime resident feeds it produce and dog kibble twice a day.

Chris Lompra, who has lived in the neighborhood for 26 years, said the pig showed up September 1 after running from a nearby park. It settled in the 3100 block of Hendricks and has stayed close to one particular tree ever since.

"He just seemed to like that pine tree," Lompra said.

Neighbors tried to corner the animal first, including one attempt with a net that didn't work. Police also spent several hours chasing the pig but couldn't catch it, according to Lompra. The animal, wary after the chase, has grown more skittish around people, though Lompra said it wasn't always that way.

"We had petted him before everyone started chasing him," Lompra said. "Now he's timid. But yeah, yesterday I just called him and got down, and he came right up to me."

Lompra believes the pig belongs to someone nearby. Its comfort around people, he said, sets it apart from the deer that also pass through the neighborhood.

"They don't come around people and stuff, they live their own life," Lompra said of the deer. "This thing's definitely tamed. It was someone's pet, I believe."

Concerned about the pig going hungry or getting hit by a car, Lompra started leaving food and water under the tree. He said he's given it produce along with dog kibble and made sure it has water within reach.

Getting help proved harder than expected. Lompra said he called an anti-cruelty organization but was put on hold for about an hour before giving up. He then contacted Detroit Animal Care and Control, which initially told him the agency wasn't equipped to handle the situation.

The agency has since said it is sending a crew to the neighborhood to try to capture the pig. Once caught, Detroit Animal Care and Control said the animal will be transferred out of the city.

Lompra's biggest worry is the pig's location near a busy street. He said he wants the animal caught safely and reunited with whoever owns it before it wanders into traffic.

"I'm hoping someone comes and gets him," Lompra said. "It's a very busy street. I don't want him to get ran over."

The pig under a tree in a residential neighborhood has drawn stares from passersby, Lompra said, and he had his own moment of disbelief when he first saw it.

"I had to look twice. Am I seeing what I'm seeing?" he said.

The pig remains under the pine tree on Hendricks, fed and watered by Lompra, as Detroit Animal Care and Control prepares to send a crew to capture it and transfer it out of the city. No owner has come forward as of the agency's latest update.