What IS a javelina, you may ask?? Well, it looks like a wild boar. Sort of like a hairy pig. They can get to be pretty big. And did I tell you that they SMELL bad? Kind of like musk - skunk - can't describe it. But you can smell them way before you see them. They travel in packs. Wild. And they can be vicious.
When we first moved to Tucson, we lived in a very nice house in a development - about 900 houses in this development. Our house backed up to a desert area. There were mesquite trees on the other side of the fence. Mesquite trees have beans. Beans attract javvies. (prounced Havvies, our pet family name for them). We used to have PACKS of them almost every night at our back fence. I should have known better, but I used to go outside with carrots and apples, and they would poke their smelly faces through the fence at me and grab - right from my fingers - their treats. My dogs would go insane, so I would leave them inside while I played with my wild pigs. Good thing I didn't get my fingers chomped off.
THEN it was halloween. Do you know what is front of many houses at Halloween time? You guessed it - PUMPKINS. Big YUMMY Pumpkins. Javvies were all over the streets, going wild with pumpkins. You haven't lived until you've seen a sight like this!! (thank you wikepedia for the picture). I've tried to take pictures of them, but they travel at night, and my pictures are BAD. So are the Javvies. :0)
6 comments:
Arizona has some weird creatures...and creepy ones too! I spent a summer in Tempe, with much time outdoors having fun (and getting sunburned). The scorpions, snakes, and huge spiders that came out at night were scary!
I like NY where the only pigs are in government (oh slap me, did I say that??).
I love pigs, these guys look cute, too bad they are so smelly! :-)
Sara - you are so brave - I would seriously be worried about getting my fingertips chomped off, like you suggested, lol. Minnesota wildlife pales in comparison - the deer, pheasant & bald eagle we see here are a tad bit less threatening. And they do not eat our pumpkins!! Though the deer wreak havoc in the gardens :(
Someday I'm going to have to visit just to see what AZ is all about, since THIS east coast girl has never actually been in that incredible state!! hugs to you as you embrace life there!! ~ Bee
You got a good picture of one! You sure don't want to mess with them!
We did some pet/house sitting for our friends in Benson, AZ last summer and we wee surpirsed on evening by a heerd of 'javvies'. I was mostly shocked with how HUGE, hairy and scary they looked. I think I was expecting cute little piggies or something! hehe
I am just giggling ta the thought of marauding pumpkin devouring javvies in a suburban neaighborhood. Too funny!
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