Frustrated Coen residents and business owners say they love the town’s unofficial mascot, pet pig Simon, except on bin day. Photo: Supplied.
She may be a favourite with Coen residents and tourists alike, but Simon the pig – yes, Simon’s a she – is unlikely to have a glittering career in waste management ahead of her in the Cape York community.
Simon can usually be found trotting along Regent Street most afternoons, much to the fascination and delight of visitors unwinding with a cold drink at the Exchange Hotel, but her rubbish behaviour has “bin” causing headaches for business owners on rubbish collection day.
Coen Mechanical owner Sara Watkins said Simon’s disregard for bin etiquette meant she faced a massive clean-up effort every Wednesday to avoid the main street looking like a tip.
“Bin day is Simon’s favourite day of the week,” she said.
“Every Wednesday, she trots downtown to nudge over as many wheelie bins as possible to get her morning feed.
“Last Wednesday, I spent one-and-a-half hours cleaning up bins on the street; I’d pick up one lot of rubbish, then turn around and run down the street to shoo her off another tipped over bin, and repeat that pattern with four bins on the main street.
“We put on a show for the travellers coming through in the morning for their takeaway coffee and toasties.”
Ms Watkins joked Simon’s penchant for bin toppling had made her and other locals wary about what they put in them.
“It is confronting to see a week’s worth of your own rubbish tipped out on the floor before you,” she laughed.
“And I now know far too much about my neighbours from their rubbish.
“It’s not all bad though – one morning, I was chatting with a customer and turned around to see Simon eating some plastic in the workshop driveway; I took the plastic off of her to find it was a $10 note, so that was a win for the day – I saved a pig and scored beer money.”
Another Coen business operator, who asked not to be named, said Simon’s antics “definitely make you think about what you’re tossing out”.
“We double-bag everything now, because it’s almost certain the contents of our bin will be spread all over street for everyone to see, thanks to that pig,” they said.
A council spokesperson told Cape York Weekly said Simon’s owner would be handed an infringement notice, as keeping a pig as a domestic pet in town in the Cook Shire local government area was not allowed.
“Under local laws, the keeping of pigs in an urban area is prohibited,” they said.
“Council has been made aware of community concerns and is following standard processes to manage the situation.”
Ms Watkins said the community had a “love-hate relationship” with the adventurous swine.
“We all care for Simon, giving her scratches and food scraps, but it is a love-hate relationship,” she said.
“When she’s being a cheeky pig and knocking over bins, it’s frustrating, but it’s balanced by a pig charm when you see her scratching up against a post and posing for a tourist photoshoot.
“It’s really sweet seeing children’s faces when they realise she’s a friendly pet pig and they can give her a stroke.”
Simon the pig is unlikely to have a bright career ahead of her in waste management. Photo: Supplied.
