Police are trying to catch wild hogs that have invaded a neighborhood here, destroying lawns and causing late night disturbances.

Gulfport Police Chief Alan Weatherford said the department has received complaints and reported pig sightings in recent days from several different residents.

Weatherford said police are working with state wildlife officials to trap the pigs.

The pigs likely managed to escape from a nearby farm, but without knowing who let the hogs out, it’s hard to know how many may be in the neighborhood, officials said.

Many scientists believe domestic pigs released into the wild rapidly return to their wild boar roots, even to the point of growing tusks and hunting prey.

“We just don’t have the equipment (to trap the hogs), but certainly we want to protect our citizens,” Weatherford said. “We contacted the state, and they’ve brought a trapper in to see if he can get rid of the hogs.”