They're not pigs. They're collared peccaries. Locals call them javelina (ha-va-lee-na,) and if that word looks familiar, it's because their tusks are pointed like a javelin.
They live together in small herds; this one is part of a family of six that wanders into the yard from time to time. Totally wild, they have not become habituated to humans, and will disappear into the arroyos that meander through our neighborhood when I open the sliding door. Unless I'm quiet, that is. They're nearsighted.
We've learned to plant things that they won't eat. I learned that lesson the hard way, having moved to Tucson from New Jersey more than a decade ago. Just because you can buy it locally at the nursery doesn't mean that it's going to stay and thrive in your back yard. These guys will root up anything that they deem good to eat. They won't eat the Octopus Agaves that I raise to sell. Good thing!
I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson, AZ Mortgage lender.
Think of me as your Tucson mortgage expert.
(520) 349-9090
