Australia: Swino the Beer Guzzling Pig Killed in Road Accident

A feral beer-swigging pig in Australia who became famous for his boozy antics has been killed in a road accident.

Named Swino, the pig hit the headlines in September after stealing six packs of beer from tourists in Western Australia.

According to Australia's Associated Press, officials in the area confirmed Swino had been found dead after being hit by a truck near Port Hedland.

Fionna Findley of Main Roads, said: "We had hoped he could become our mascot, so it is a sad end for him. It is a very common occurrence for feral animals to get hit and killed by vehicles, but we are all a bit upset."

Speaking to ABC, she added: "These guys went out and they could see that apparently Swino had some really distinct markings on his ears.

"And just by the colouring of him they were able to match up the markings from what they found to some of the photos."

Chased by a cow

Local authorities had been hunting for Swino for the last few weeks after he raided a number of campsites in the De Grey River area.

In one drinking session, Swino is said to have downed 18 cans of beer before he ransacked bin bags to find left over food by discarded tourists. One witness even said he had seen the pig picking a fight with a cow after one booze-fuelled night.

"It was in the middle of the night and it was these people camping opposite us and they heard this crunching of the can and they got their torch out and shone it on the pig and there he was scrunching away at their cans," he said.

"Then he went and raided their rubbish that they had sort of covered over with a bin as well. And then there was some other people camped right on the river and they saw him running around their vehicle being chased by a cow."

Swino's antics prompted the Main Roads department to remind travellers to store any food and drink securely. Findley told ABC radio at the time: "Some of the road users that were parked over for the night said the pig stole their beers, drank them and then afterwards proceeded to tear apart the bin liners.

"We just want to remind everyone, when you do pull over make sure [your food and alcohol] is securely stored because there are a lot of animals out there that are keen for a free feed.''