Pregnant pig saves her own bacon by escaping from farm where she was destined for the chop before giving birth to 10 piglets in the woods
- Matilda the pig escaped a farm in Ollerton, Nottinghamshire, to have her babies
- Anna Aston, 49, was gobsmacked to spot the mother pig in the woods Monday
- Matilda gave birth to ten piglets, the 'Ollerton 11', volunteers hope to re-home
A pregnant pig has escaped the farm where she was destined for the chop so that she could safely give birth to her ten piglets in the woods.
Anna Aston, 49, was left gobsmacked when she spotted the escapee mother pig feeding her babies in the undergrowth in woodland near Ollerton, Nottinghamshire, on Monday.
She contacted Brinsley Animal Rescue after making the discovery whilst out walking her dog, and volunteers have since named the daring pig Matilda.
The charity is now appealing to the pig farmer to allow them re-home the 'Ollerton 11' so they can avoid the fate of being slaughtered.
Mother-of-two Ms Aston says she hoped the farmer would now find the heart to spare them the chop after they 'earned their freedom' thanks to Matilda's escape.
Ms Aston, of Swadlincote, Derbyshire, said: 'I was just walking near the woods on Monday evening when I heard something in the hedges which I knew immediately was quite big.
'I thought maybe it was another dog or a badger and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this pig and her piglets rustling around in the undergrowth.
Matilda the pig made a brave escape from a local pig farm to give birth to her ten piglets in woodland near Ollerton, Nottinghamshire on Monday
'I knew they weren't wild boar; they just looked like ordinary pigs, which I thought wasn't normal. I walked on but couldn't get these pigs out of my mind and I was worried for their safety.
'I didn't realise there is a pig farm nearby and she must have escaped from there. It's incredible really that she went to such lengths to protect her babies.
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'She deserves a safe and happy life with her little family and I think she has earned her freedom now. I hope the farmer has the heart now to allow the pig to be re-homed.
'Just like the Tamworth Two all those years ago we now want to see justice for the Ollerton 11.'
Jon Beresford, who runs the charity, said he would need permission from the farmer to remove the pig and her piglets, which are believed to be around three-weeks-old.
The ten piglets are still being looked after by their mother in the woods, as she enjoys her new found freedom. The animals are being fed by volunteers at Brinsley Animal Rescue
Volunteers are now hoping to re-home the 11 animals and save Matilda from the chop
But he is hopeful that Nottinghamshire County Council will allow them to move the animals to safety on welfare grounds if their pleas to the farmer are rejected.
They have dubbed the family the 'Ollerton 11' after the Tamworth Two - a pair of pigs that famously escaped while being unloaded from a lorry at an abattoir in WIltshire in 1998.
Jon believes Matilda's motherly instincts kicked in and she knew she had to get herself and her babies to safety in order to protect them.
He said: 'It's almost like her maternal instincts are like "I want to get out of here and have my babies" and she has broken out.
As Matilda has a nose ring she is not able to forage for food herself - the charity hopes to take the animals to a sanctuary to live out their days
'We are now appealing to the farmer to let her be rescued by us as she has shown such bravery, determination and strong love for her babies.
'We think she has earned her freedom now and it would be wrong to take her back to the abattoir.
'She also has a ring through her nose, which we consider cruel, because pigs use their noses to forage for food and upturn roots.
'She is in the wild and hasn't been able to find food, so we have been taking food up for her as she tends to her little piglets.
'We have been trying to contact the farmer without any joy so far so we may have to approach the animal department at the local authority.
'If they agree we can move her on welfare grounds or the farmer comes back to us and agrees - then we can save her from the chop.
'We hope the farmer can find the heart to let us rescue Matilda.'
Louise Smith, a volunteer for the charity, added: 'She has a ring through her nose which meant she was unable to forage for food herself.
'We left food for her to eat but she only seemed interested in caring for her young.
'We are really hopeful the farmer allows us to commence the rescue and get Matilda and her family to a sanctuary where they can live out the rest of their natural lives.'
