Pig Disappears A Second Time After Hurricane Idalia: FL Nature Center

SARASOTA, FL — An adopted pig that caused a stir among staff at Sarasota’s Crowley Museum and Nature Center when he went missing after Hurricane Idalia, recently disappeared a second time.

Luckily, Pigpig, a full-grown Piney rooter, is back home now, after being coaxed into his pen with a package of iced oatmeal cookies.

While he slipped out of his pen the first time because he was being bullied by a smaller pig, Irman, the reason for his second disappearance was possibly more nefarious.

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• Adopted Pig Disappears From Sarasota Museum During Hurricane Idalia
• Pig Missing During Hurricane Returns To Sarasota Museum, Nature Center

Pigpig escaped again after someone intentionally opened the gates to multiple pens on the property, Crowley staff wrote in a Facebook post. In fact, he wasn’t the only animal to leave his enclosure; all of the pigs were released.

The museum and nature center are on “private property and no one is to be on it without expressed permission on the days that we are closed to the public,” staff wrote. “Further, you should never open gates and free animals therein, no matter what your reasons are. If one gate is open, it can be a coincidence; if every gate without a key or combo lock on the property is open, it is not. Again this is for the safety of the CMNC animals, surrounding animals, habitats and people.”

Anyone with concerns about any animals on the property is invited to reach out to Crowley staff, the museum and nature center post said. “But again, please do not take matters into your own hands, especially with animals like hogs and cattle. You could be seriously injured.”

While the other released pigs were easier to get back into their pens, Pigpig required “a private escort from the swamp all the way up to his now exclusive and private enclosure,” Crowley staff wrote.

As he told staff “all about his adventures” on the way back to his enclosure, he would stop and demand a cookie, refusing to budge until he got one, staff said.

“It’s humid and very buggy following the rain from Idalia, but I can’t help but appreciate a stroll in the woods with my buddy. Time spent with Pigpig, no matter what a goofy troublemaker he can be, is always salve for what ails me…even if his love costs way more snacks than it should,” staff wrote.

They plan to add more cameras around the animal enclosures.