6 comments on “The Javelina”

  1. Lots to process in this video. Let me address this from a boots on the ground perspective. Javelina, for the most part, are a nuisance, but not dangerous. But they can be dangerous. I was appalled by the sight of people standing in their garage while Javelina were in their driveway. If I go outside and see Javelina in my yard, I hop into the bed of my pickup and make noise, until they leave.

    They have tusks, and they could easily trample a human. When startled, they run like fools, and they are easily startled. I’ve stood in the bed of my truck and had them run directly past me, fleeing in panic, when they could easily have gone the other direction and ambled into the brush. Their panic reaction is what I find most frightening.

    Javelina capture my immediate attention just as urgently as a rattlesnake. I just couldn’t believe that people were actually feeding javelina. I can’t imagine such poor judgement. In contrast, I only place discarded foodstuffs in my trash container on the day the trash is picked up, to avoid inadvertently feeding javelina and attracting them to return to my yard.

    So, while there was a lot of good information in that video, it is unrealistic to see these as charming wildlife visitors to urban areas. They are a nuisance and, while not vicious, they are very prone to panic and will basically stampede, which is a frightening thing to see, when it’s coming in your direction. Thankfully, I had a truck bed, nearby, to jump into. Fun to watch from a distance, and even charming, in a homely way, but if you see one, stay in your car, or atop something sturdy, until they pass.

    NEVER feed them. That is foolhardy.

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    2. We have people who go to great lengths to feed deer, in this immediate area, hence the mountain lion tracks found within sight of where I am typing this. Why not? It’s like opening a mountain lion cafe.

      I’m not all that bothered by the mountain lions; they tend to avoid humans, unless the human is doing something very ill advised. But when I drive past the home where that happens, there are frequently deer crossing the road, pretty much oblivious to the auto traffic on that road. Deer graze here, and when a broadleaf tree in my back yard sheds its leaves, the deer will gather in my back yard and chow down. But that is a relatively natural process and doesn’t inhibit their fear of humans.

      When people stand out in their yard and lure wild animals to them with food, this is not a natural thing, and the deer lose their fear of humans. Because of this, I have had deer in my yard walk right up to me, sniffing whatever tool I was carrying, thinking that I might be bringing them food. This is dangerous, to both the deer and to myself. These are wild animals, and unpredictable. One kick from a fleeing deer could be very injurious. On the flip side, people have used this behavior as a way to hunt deer, without leaving even their yard.

    3. They had the problem with bear in the Adirondacks. At one time they avoided people, now they have had more confrontations. There were also “hunters” who would to down and hide by the dump, then shoot bear when they came there to search for food. Horrible.

    4. It’s charming to have a friendly interaction with wildlife. I’ve had a few, especially when my work took me to rural areas. Wildlife are curious, and at times will get close to humans, but they are still wild animals, and unpredictable, at best.

      There was a time when I didn’t realize that we shouldn’t attract wildlife by feeding them. It’s easy to feel that this is compassionate, but it’s not. Wild animals should remain just that. I understand people who care for wild animals born in captivity, and thereby cannot survive in the wild, but this requires very special circumstances.

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