MARYVILLE, Tenn. — Ever see a wild pig swim in the water? Matt Cameron with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said he hasn't... until now.
Mark Walker from Maryville captured this rare video of a family of wild pigs doing the piggy paddle across Chilhowee Lake Saturday morning.
Despite a fairly sizable feral pig population across the foothills of the Smokies and 80 of Tennessee's 95 counties, it's somewhat of a rare sight. It's not as rare as flying pigs, but they do enjoy going for a dip every now and again -- particularly in the Bahamas.
"Pigs can't fly but they can certainly swim, as is evident through the video. That's really neat footage and I've personally never seen hogs swim before... cross the lake right there," Cameron said.
While it's endearing to see these piggies enjoying themselves, the TWRA is reminding people that feral pigs are considered a destructive species. Wild pigs cause substantial damage to the Tennessee landscape and can carry diseases that infect both wild and domestic animals.
If you see a wild pig on your property, you should contact the TWRA at 1-800-332-0900.