Tri-Township Park Petting Zoo has a new, temporary, resident

 

By Pat Pratt

ppratt@timestribunenews.com          

This little piggy went to the market. This little piggy stayed home. 

And this little piggy, the newest resident at the Tri-Township Park Petting Zoo, may have made his way half-way across the Metro East to find himself in Troy. 

Visitors for the past few days have been going “hog-wild” over a new pot-bellied pig at the petting zoo. The park put a Facebook post out Friday asking if anyone had lost him that garnered a lot of buzz, but so far no one has claimed the animal. 

Park Maintenance Director Dave Qualls said the pig was found just days ago after he wandered into a resident’s front yard near Bethany Drive in Troy. The park took him in to take care of him, in hopes they could find his owners.

However, the goats have already taken issue with their new neighbor. The Llamas don’t seem amiable to strike up a friendship either, and the donkey seemingly hasn’t quite made up his mind about the new addition. 

The question everyone’s asking, including park officials, however, is how did he get here? Qualls said he is pretty certain the pig wandered here from State Park Place. He said a poster in a private Facebook group shared the pig was from around there and it’s possible his owners left him. 

Pot-bellied pigs can walk several miles a day, Qualls said. 

While there’s no excuse for irresponsible animal ownership, if that be the case, this story has a happy ending. The park has already turned a pig’s ear into a silk purse, so to speak, and found him a new home. 

Qualls said a family just outside of town with a large farm has agreed to adopt him. So if you want to see the petting zoo’s temporary guest, better do it soon, he will likely be leaving today or tomorrow.