Video: Javelina Invasion Or Simply A Tucson Neighborhood Trot?

TUCSON, AZ — Five javelinas were videotaped on their brisk trot through a Tucson neighborhood this week. One seems to get a little off course, lagging behind the other four. Meanwhile, a car seems to wait for the javelinas to clear the road, but then backs up for some unknown reason once the animals have left the area.

Were the javelinas in the neighborhood checking out the Christmas-ornament-adorned residences? They made too fast of a getaway on the video as seen on the Neighbors app to really know.

Though Tucson and other Arizona residents often call javelinas "desert pigs," they're not. They're part of a family of hoofed mammals classified as "peccary" that came from South America originally, the Arizona Game and Fish Department reported.

The foods javelinas might be searching for in more populated areas such as the neighborhood in the video include succulent plants, flowers, lush vegetation, garbage, table scraps or even birdseed.

Or the javelinas might go into neighborhoods in search of water from irrigation hoses or pools.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department's website advises people to never give food to a javelina, but not for the reason you might think. "[Feeding javelinas] can cause them to become regular visitors and lose their fear of people, creating problems for the neighborhood and often leading to the death of the javelina."

Javelinas might also draw mountain lions to your home, as they prey on javelina. Javelinas are also very protective of their young and might become defensive around dogs, which are also javelina predators.

If you see a javelina near your home, the Department suggests making loud noises or throwing small rocks toward the area the javelina occupies. Or if a javelina gets shut into a gated area, open the gate and let the javelina walk away on its own. If it hasn't walked away by the next day, call a local wildlife control organization serving Tucson such as the many listed on the Department's website or call the Department.

If a javelina is acting aggressively toward humans while inside a gated area or otherwise confined, Tucson area residents should call the local Arizona Game and Fish Department office at 520-628-5376 during weekday business hours. On weekends and after hours, call the Department's dispatcher at 623-236-7201.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department advises residents that javelina relocation by a wildlife business or the Department should only be done as a last resort, as it typically causes the javelina's death because of herd separation or inability to locate shelter, food or water in a new locale.

Anyone who is bitten by a javelina — which happens occasionally and is nearly always when feeding javelina — should seek medical attention right away, the Arizona Game and Fish Department advises.

To learn more about javelinas and what to do if you see one, access the Arizona Game and Fish Department's website.

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