Authorities are investigating how a farmer in the state of Oregon was devoured by his pigs.

Terry Vance Garner, 69, went to feed his animals last Wednesday on his farm by the coast, but never returned.

His dentures and pieces of his body were found by a family member in the pig enclosure, but the rest of his remains had been consumed.

The Coos County district attorney’s office said that one of the animals had previously bitten Garner.

The animals are estimated by the authorities to each weigh about 700lb.

Investigators say it is possible that the hogs knocked Garner over before killing and eating him.

But they have not ruled out the possibility that the farmer could have collapsed from a medical emergency, such as a heart attack.

A pathologist was unable to determine the cause of Garner’s death and his remains have been sent to the University of Oregon to be analysed by a forensic anthropologist…

Coos County District Attorney Paul Frasier told the local newspaper: “For all we know, it was a horrific accident, but it’s so doggone weird that we have to look at all possibilities.”

Mr Frasier added that he had not intended to release details about the case, but changed his mind after word spread about the incident.

There may be mobs with torches and pitchforks hunting were-pigs?