Javelinas are massive beasts that look prehistoric. Residents of the Valley of the Sun are sure to be familiar with these frightening animals. They are familiar not only for their large population throughout the area, but their characteristics. These animals are vicious, and despite living around many humans, they can inflict serious wounds/injuries on humans.
While they typically do not attack humans unless provoked, there are cases in which humans are attacked without interacting with the javelinas at all. A woman in North Phoenix was taking an evening stroll with her dog when a javelina brutally attacked her, tearing all of the tendons in her left arm.
The instance of the North Phoenix woman being attacked might be a rarer encounter with Javelina, attacks on dogs are much more common. In some cases, javelina have even killed the dogs.
Aftering constantly hearing about these startling instances, many Arizonans ask why the javelinas cannot be removed from residential areas. Some argue that they need to be able to kill the javelina on their property, as they pose a serious threat to both the human and furry residents.
But, under Arizona Hunting Law, javelina are classified as “big game species”. It is illegal to kill or even injure big game species, even when they are causing issues to humans. How many people actually would injure these wild pigs? It is not as uncommon as one would think. Most recently, two javelinas were found killed by arrows.
New residents of Arizona may feel helpless after their expected first encounter with the javelinas, where they will be surrounded by their large packs of up to 15 animals knowing that nothing can be done to remove them. The best way to deal with the javelina is to know the methods to prevent any negative encounters. The Arizona Game and Fish Department outlines these methods on their website, with the top advice being get loud when a javelina approaches you and do not feed them under any circumstance. It is important to remember that these javelinas are not infiltrating our homes, but humans are infiltrating theirs. Before homes were built here, these lands were javelina natural habitats. Despite them being ugly beasts, we must learn to live with them.
This blog post is part of the CIMA Law Group blog. If you are located in Arizona and are seeking legal services, CIMA Law Group specializes in Immigration Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations.
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