'No one is going to believe me': Atlanta residents keep spotting a massive roaming hog

A wandering hog has become an unexpected local character in southwest Atlanta, where neighbors have dubbed it Chris P. Bacon.

The animal has been spotted wandering through local subdivisions and slipping into nearby woods, turning ordinary drives and morning runs into double-take moments.

What happened?

Weeks of neighborhood chatter on Nextdoor led up to a recent sighting that one resident managed to record on video.

Caroline Vaughn-Cooke, who lives in the Wellesley subdivision, said the encounter happened as she was heading home. She quickly realized it was something she needed to document. "I was just driving home from an appointment, and there was a pig," Vaughn-Cooke said to WRDW. "A big, fat-bellied pig." 

She added, "No one is going to believe me."

WRDW shared the video that Vaughn-Cooke took, which shows the hog trotting through the neighborhood. 

Other neighbors have had their own encounters with the animal as well. Gary Anderson said he had been hearing about the hog before he finally saw it himself. 

"I'd heard about a pig or a hog that was in the area," Anderson said to WRDW.

When Anderson saw the animal, he guessed it weighed about 60 to 80 pounds. He said it came near him, then crossed the road and went into the woods. On where it might have originated, he said, "Someone said there is a farm around here somewhere."

Why does it matter?

A loose animal in a residential area can raise safety concerns. And as housing developments continue to expand, they can take up habitat space that animals need to survive.

That construction can create more human-wildlife encounters, which may cause harm to anyone involved. Letting wildlife stay wild and giving it space whenever possible can reduce that risk.

Fulton County Animal Control did not clearly say whether the pig had been caught. For now, people in the area should keep a lookout for it just in case.

What are people saying?

Among residents who have spotted Chris P. Bacon, the overall response seems closer to amusement than alarm.

Anderson said a neighbor had urged him to bring a golf club while out running, but he was not especially worried.

"I'm from Detroit," Anderson said. "I've seen worse than a hog in the morning." 

Anderson also has high hopes for the hog: "I hope he stays on the lam. He doesn't hurt anybody. I hope he stays out here and does his thing."

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