Wild pig

Deputies shot this wild pig after it broke through a fence in Allegan County. (Courtesy Allegan County Sheriff's Office)

(Courtesy Allegan County Sheriff's Office)

FENNVILLE, MI-- Allegan County Sheriff's deputies were called upon to shoot a large feral hog discovered in a horse pasture here Thursday.

Undersheriff Frank Baker said deputies were called to the 1100 Block of 62nd Street in Casco Township at about 4:30 p.m. March 24 when a homeowner complained that the shaggy gray pig had broken through the fence, allowing her horses to escape their pasture.

The deputies found and shot the pig, which was sporting 6-inch tusks. They estimated its weight at about 600 pounds.

Baker said no one was hurt in the incident.

A neighboring farmer who raises pigs claimed the body, saying he believed it might have been one of his animals that escaped at some point.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist Mark Mills said he hopes to take the head for disease testing.

Michigan has an open season on feral pigs, and in 2010 the state launched a campaign encouraging people who encounter the animals to shoot them on sight.

In 2011, the MDNR estimated between 3,000 and 5,000 feral pigs in more than 65 of Michigan's 83 counties. The animals wreak havoc on the environment, eating eggs of game birds, young deer or lambs, and crops. The pigs also can carry diseases.

The state declared certain species that most often go wild invasive, and has banned ownership of them.

Baker said he was not sure how long this pig had been on the loose.

Rosemary Parker is a reporter for MLive. Contact her at rparker3@mlive.com.