By Amber Ford, The Mountain Times
While many animals both large and small call the beloved Mt. Hood National Forest home, not every species is meant for the vast, cold and wet environment that encompasses nearly one million acres. Bears, elk, deer, coyotes and wolves roam the wilderness that neighbors the Mt. Hood Villages, but one creature recently rescued and not native to such extreme climate and elevations is a domestic pig.
Spotted on several trail cameras throughout the months of November and December, community members became concerned about the animal, noting the time of year and forest service road it appeared on. While cows have been known to wander off ranches and into the national forest, a domestic pig is unheard of, and many Mt. Hood Villages’ locals feared the pig had been dropped off on purpose. Several concerned residents shared the image of the pig from the trail cameras on local social media sites, encouraging a few good-hearted community members to recognize the danger this pig is in with winter approaching, and theymfelt compelled to act.
Mt. Hood Villages resident and animal lover Bethany Whitford was one of the community members who began to put a plan in place to rescue the pig. “I first heard about the pig mid- November on Facebook and through my husband, who had been contacted at work by a mass email from Out to Pasture Sanctuary (who had also been contacted about the pig) regarding a loose pig in the woods on Road 20,” Whitford said. “I have experience with raising pigs and it just seemed like this poor thing needed out of the woods,” Whitford added. With knowledge of homesteading, survival techniques and animal foster organizations, Whitford placed her first pig trap at the end of November, a humane trap that keeps the animal confined. Whitford’s goal was to entice the pig into the trap where it would then be caged and monitored by a camera. “Several community members helped me keep an eye on it and keep bait in it,” Whitford said. “It failed, unfortunately. The pig or another animal had completely ripped it up,” Whitford added.
Out to Pasture Animal Sanctuary connected Whitford with a property owner in the vicinity where the pig had been spotted, and a second trap was constructed and set up with a trail camera graciously monitered by the land owner. “I went back several days later, reinforced the fencing, and put better, yummier bait in the trap,” Whitford said. “With the help of my fellow pig warriors I got a message at 10am on December 6th from the property owner that the pig was in the trap,” Whitford added. Using lots of willpower, determination and help from friends, Whitford and company were able to load the pig into her vehicle where she transported it to the animal sanctuary. “She looked very healthy, scared but friendly,” Whitford said. “It felt like she knew she was being saved and was so relieved to be out of the woods,” Whitford added.
The rescued pig’s journey from the wilderness to safety is a testament to community compassion and determination. After wandering through the forest and spending time at Out to Pasture, the pig will be quarantined to ensure her health before finding a forever home at Green Acres Farm & Sanctuary — a happy ending to an unusual adventure.