The javelin is an animal that frequents the southwestern United States. What is a javelin? Feral pigs are common in many areas of the world and although the javelina looks like a pig, it is a peccary. Peccaries are in the same genus as our domesticated and wild pigs but on a slightly different branch of the group.
If you live in Arizona, for example, and you see a furry pig-like creature, it’s probably a javelina. They are found in the wild in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and southern Mexico, Central America and Argentina. These peccaries survive on a variety of foods; however, javelins in a garden can present a problem, where the abundance of cultivated produce is extremely attractive.
What is a Javelina?
If you live in the southwestern United States, in South and Central America, you may have experience handling javelins. Javelins are in the order Artiodactyla, just like our common pigs. Where pigs are ‘Old World’ animals, ‘New World’ animals and in a completely different family.
They eat almost anything, making javelin pests a real problem where food and water are abundant in the landscape. They even eat puppies and kittens! The animals look like small furry boars, but are actually hoofed animals that travel in herds.
Dealing with Javelinas
Javelins are opportunistic when it comes to their food. Since their variety is so large, they accommodate a large number of menu items. They like cactus , berries, nuts, bulbs , flowers, fruits, snakes, eggs, carrion, frogs, fish, you name it.
Javelins in the garden will wreak havoc while enjoying the smorgasbord you work so carefully to preserve. Dogs can be an effective deterrent to javelin pests in the garden, but do not feed pets outdoors and if you do, remove any leftovers immediately. Javelins will also enter the garden if there is a constant source of water .
The recommended method for controlling peccaries in areas where they are common is a 4 ft 1.2 m high fence. If a fence is not practical, a low-voltage wire 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm) above the ground is sufficient.
You can usually keep them away by emptying containers of standing water, keeping trash cans tightly closed, picking up fallen fruit, and generally keeping your yard clean and tidy so they aren’t tempted to come in.
note : Javelins are a game animal and a license is required to hunt them. Killing them in the landscape is frowned upon and is not recommended for peccary control.