Javelina

Paul Pomeroy

This is the first time I've seen a Javelina in the neighborhood (although I've seen signs of them many times as they're fond of eating the flowering plants I used to be fond of planting in the front yard). Sadly, this one is most likely here because it has an injured leg and has probably been booted out of the herd to fend for itself. He (she?) is clearly emaciated (it went back into the bushes to sleep a few minutes after I took this).

You can kind of get an idea of how massive their jaw muscles are in this photo. They're omnivores and have a set of teeth a wolf would appreciate. They also have spikey hair and smell worse than a skunk if they're startled (or just in a pissy mood, I suppose). I've encountered groups of them a number of times while out bike riding here and always wait for them to move away from the road before going by them. They can get pretty aggressive if there are babies in the group.

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