Javelina

Javelina are stocky, gray, pig-like mammals about the size of a medium dog that live across the Sonoran Desert and move through neighborhoods like Tatum Ranch in family groups. Despite the resemblance, they are not pigs; they are collared peccaries. They have poor eyesight and a strong sense of smell, and they follow food. Most of the year they are most active around dawn and dusk, shifting to night in the summer heat.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department's core message is simple: do not feed them, and remove what attracts them. Feeding javelina, on purpose or by accident, leads them to associate homes with food, which creates conflicts and usually ends badly for the animal. Secure garbage, feed pets indoors, pick up fallen fruit, and be mindful that birdseed and unsecured water draw them in too.

If javelina come near your home, AZGFD recommends hazing them so they stay wild: make loud noise (bang pots, yell, stomp), spray them with a hose or squirt them with water, or throw small rocks in their direction, not at them. Give them room to leave and never corner one, especially a mother with young, since a cornered javelina can react defensively. Keep dogs leashed and back; encounters with dogs are a common trigger. It is unlawful to trap javelina, so focus on non-lethal deterrence and consistent effort with your neighbors.

Safety and coexistence

• Never feed javelina; remove pet food, garbage, birdseed, fallen fruit, and open water
• Haze them with loud noise, a hose, or small rocks thrown near (not at) them
• Keep dogs leashed and well back; dog encounters are a common conflict trigger
• Never corner one, and give a mother with young plenty of space
• Work with neighbors so the whole street removes attractants; it is unlawful to trap them