Armed police pursue pig near Auckland motorway

Police armed with rifles are in pursuit of a pig running riot near an Auckland motorway.

But the swine appears to have given them the slip.

Armed officers are looking for the pig near the Te Atatu motorway on-ramp towards Auckland reported about 4pm amid heavy westbound traffic on Saturday afternoon.

Police at the scene appeared to have lost sight of the pig shortly after 5pm and were turning their attention to an area of bush near the on-ramp. Officers were also awaiting the arrival of animal control.

About an hour earlier, reports on social media suggested a “little black pig” was running down the motorway on-ramp heading from Te Atatu Peninsula towards the city on State Highway 16.

A spokeswoman at police national headquarters said she was aware of the motorway pig.

“Police are responding to a report received shortly after 4pm of a pig running on the North-Western Motorway near the Te Atatu Road off-ramp,” she said.

She could not confirm if it was a Captain Cooker or a domestic breed.

“There are no details as to the breed of pig.”