Red Deer honours famous pig that escaped slaughterhouse

A pig that jumped a tall fence to escape its fate at a slaughterhouse over three decades ago has been honoured with a statue in Red Deer.

The life-sized statue of the 108-kilogram pig was unveiled in the Central Spray & Play park this past weekend. The statue depicts Francis the pig jumping over a hedge covered in daisies.

Francis escaped the slaughterhouse in July 1990 by jumping over a 1.2 metre-tall fence in downtown Red Deer. He evaded capture for five months before a hunter eventually trapped him using a tranquilizer.

It’s reported that the locals were worried that Francis wouldn’t be able to survive the winter weather on his own. Unfortunately, the pig died three days later due to a bladder infection caused by the tranquilizer.

“While it was on the lam, its mystery captured every