ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. (AP) — African warthogs, not surprisingly, are not native to Florida so state wildlife officials are investigating how one wound up loose in a suburban neighborhood.
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Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation officials told TCPalm.com that it captured the tusky animal last month after a five-day search north of Fort Pierce.
That included failed attempts to capture it with traps and a rope snare before a wildlife officer spotted it and tackled it. The newspaper reports the officer got some cuts on his legs in the process.
For several days, the wild pig wandered around an area near Belleair and Brookline avenues in St. Lucie County.
Officials said the beast was tame and friendly when offered food.
Under state law, owning a warthog requires a permit but no one in that area had one.