By Gail Cochrane

Liberty Wildlife Volunteer

Sometimes my dog Eli and I slip into the fenced playground of the school nearby, so he can run and chase a ball. We go at first light when no one else is around. The other day as we circled the backside of the property, we came upon a herd of four javelinas moving up the desert hillside adjacent the school yard. They looked so large on the landscape, compared to my usual wildlife sightings of quails, thrashers and antelope squirrels. Almost like a group of mini buffalo! A dog barked crazily from a backyard nearby, breaking the early morning stillness.

Javelinas are common across the Sonoran Desert region, and also in neighborhoods that link to desert habitat. They come into yards to eat tasty petunias, so tender and juicy, as well as prickly pear cacti that they tear with their long sharp canines (their javelins). Sharp hooves dig up the roots of shrubs.

Eli stopped all his ball chasing and stood taut, watching the javelinas make their way towards the rocky area that capped the ridge. A large javelina led two smaller adults who trailed close behind, and a youngster scampered at their sides. They moved along steadily.

An older, experienced sow generally leads the herd, deciding when and where they will eat, drink and bed down. With males being larger than females, individuals range in size from 40-60 pounds. Babies weigh just one pound at birth and are usually born as twins.

With very poor vision, javelinas depend on their sense of smell. They produce a musky perfume that helps them recognize members of the herd. The scent envelopes the entire group as they move through the desert, and helps them stay together.  A herd may be 2-20 strong and defends a territory of 700-800 acres.

When the javelinas crested the ridge and disappeared, I sighed in relief.  I threw the ball a few more times then the two of us circled back the way we came, past where the javelinas had first appeared, heading home. Suddenly Eli became completely still, transfixed by the desert hillside, or something on it.  Here came one of the javelinas, trotting purposefully towards the fence, and beyond it, Eli and I.

It appeared that with the rest of the herd and especially the baby in safety, this individual had come back to chase us away. Rabbits and coyotes have dug passages under the fence in a number of places. I was not convinced that this feisty javelina would not come on through if necessary.  Not many predators will take on an adult javelina, but coyotes and bobcats will prey on the babies.  Eli running around in the field below their hideout apparently was cause for concern, whether they could smell him or make out his form.

We did retreat right away of course, and the very next day Eli got a nice perfumy shampoo. Just in case.

Note in picture: Javelina or Collared Peccary and young.