Pig owner hopes this weekend’s snow will lead to animals’ safe return

This weekend’s anticipated snowfall has the owner of a group of wild pigs that have been on the loose hopeful it will lead to their safe return.

Michael Comisac, who lives in a trailer on Mush Dahl Road in West Penn Township said eight of his pigs got loose nearly three weeks ago. One of the pigs was shot by a person who works for the Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, he said.

For Comisac, snow would be welcome news.

“We’re looking forward to the snow coming,” Comisac said Thursday afternoon. “We have been working diligently to getting the hogs back, put a lot of bait out, food, trying to keep them all in one area so that they don’t cause problems.”

Comisac said he believes snow is the key to the safe return of the pigs.

“If we get a snow, I would think that there would be no choice but for the pigs to come home and eat,” he said. “The frozen ground has already limited their food access to probably half of what they had before.”

In the event of snow, Comisac said he believes the pigs could possibly return as soon as Sunday or Monday.

“I think if everybody has a little bit of patience, I think this will come to an end within a week,” he said. “What we don’t want to do is split these pigs up and have them running all over the place.”

Comisac urged anyone who spots the pigs to call him at 570-449-6838.

“If anybody sees them and they help get them back, I have a reward,” he said.

Last week, Comisac said, “If the person would give us information that would result in me safely getting the animals back and sell them, I would pay up to $100 per animal,” he said. “Not if the animals are found and shot.”

Comisac said he had the pigs sold and put them in an enclosure down at his barn. At that point, he said they ripped a board off, and went through a fence.

“I’m just trying to sell all the animals,” he said, adding if he hadn’t sold the pigs, they wouldn’t have been moved to the enclosure where they escaped.

State game Warden Joel Gibble has described the pigs as dark colored, and weighing over 200 pounds each. The agency is working in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services based in Harrisburg to get the pigs corralled.

Comisac, 69, said he has lymphoma, and hasn’t been able to promote the Big Oak Whitetail Ranch hunting preserve business.

“We’re getting rid of the pigs because we’re trying to sell all of the animals because of my health,” he said. “We’re closing the thing down for that reason; I’m not able to work like I should.”

Comisac said that none of the pigs are able to breed.

“We’re doing our very best,” he said. “We’re working day and night.”

Comisac said he has about 100 sheep, some deer and elk, peacocks, geese and one pig that is sold, on his preserve, which has been for sale for several years.

Patricia Clifford lives right next to the enclosure.

“Since they got out, my horse has been so freaked out that I have almost been kicked every time I got to feed her,” Clifford said. “When I found out, I looked up horses and pigs and found out that horses are terrified of pigs and llamas for some reason.”

Harris Glass, state director, U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services said the pigs can be “destructive,” can harbor diseases that can affect other hog operations, and can also cause humans harm.

“It’s a nasty animal to have out in the environment,” Glass said.

Glass urged anyone who has seen the pigs to call the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services at 866-487-3297 or the Pennsylvania Game Commission at 610-926-3136.