Purple and Paws I live close to the desert and in the neighborhoods I walk Socks I’ve encountered plenty of coyotes. Javelina encounters are a little more rare for us, however. I’m very happy about that because javelina are much more scary than coyotes. Nothing gets your heart pounding like being chased by a javelina, am I right?
Our first encounter with javelina occurred not long after I adopted Socks. We were walking down a semi-busy road and Socks stopped to smell a bush. I heard a rustling noise, glanced over, saw a big, hulking brown shape, swallowed a scream, and hurried Socks along. Luckily, the javelina darted backwards and then out into the street. No cars were coming at the time, thank goodness, and it trotted into the nearest wash. Still, I kept watch for any more javelina as we headed towards home.
Our second encounter with javelina was the scariest. While walking through one of the neighborhoods near the desert in the low light of morning before the sun rose, I thought I noticed some shadows on the other side of the street. I also heard that familiar rustling so I quickened my pace. As Socks and I crossed the street, I saw a group of javelina in the yard of the house on the corner.
Some of the javelina apparently felt we were getting too close and as we stepped up onto the sidewalk across from them, two started coming towards us. Fast. Running, in fact. I let out a scream, tightened my hold on Socks’ leash, and started running myself while yelling, “Come on, Socks, come on!” (Too bad no one was filming me at the time because that definitely would’ve gone viral).
We kept running and I kept glancing back to see the terrifying sight of two javelina hot on our heels. Eventually, as we got further and further away from the rest of the pack, the two javelina gave up the chase and returned to their group. As I waited for my heart to slow and my hands to stop shaking, a black car pulled up to me and Socks. “Are you okay?” a cute young guy asked. “I saw those javelina chasing you.” Cheeks flushing with embarrassment, I laughed. “Oh, yeah. It was a little scary but we’re fine.”
I spent the next week completely paranoid and checking for javelina all the time.
We’ve been lucky enough not to encounter any javelina since (knock on wood) but I know now that I should either give them a very wide berth or turn around because javelina’s will attack if they feel threatened.
Do you have any stories of scary javelina encounters? I’d love to hear them!