Four wild boars reported sighted at Riverfront Park remained on the loose, but wildlife officers said they saw signs the animals had been there, and the popular riverside playground and picnic facility remained closed to the public.

The large, black boars were reported sighted Friday between DiamondJacks Casino and the playgrounds at Riverfront Park by a security guard at the casino. DiamondJacks has been closed for nearly a week due to the Mississippi River flood.

“We have no idea where they came from,” Deputy Police Chief John Dolan said.

Officers with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks fired shots into a nearby wooded area in an attempt to flush out the boars.

The park will remain closed, Dolan said, because the animals, likely fleeing the swollen river, are aggressive and unpredictable. An adult boar can weigh as much as 200 pounds and has tusks that serve as forging tools and dangerous weapons.

Jim Walker, a spokesman with the MDWFP, said there had been “lots” of reports of wild boars south of Greenville and east of Redwood.

Dolan said MDWFP was exploring the option of hiring contractors who help the Vicksburg National Military Park with wild boar problems to track the animals.