Up very close

As I stepped outside to take the dogs for their after-dinner stroll, Dan called me to get the dogs back inside with some urgency. Everybody back in, and looking out into the yard to see reason for the quick re-entry, we saw 2 javelinas exploring the prickly pear cacti. They were after the cactus tunas, the fruits.

We took some pictures from inside and I went back out to see if the coast was clear, and walked within 10 yards of them, while they were munching away! Dan joined me with the camera: these are his pictures.

After living here for 7 years, the javelinas have always been elusive to me. I just see a glimpse or a shadow. Even though these animals look like a pig relative, they are peccaries and very different. Their eyesight is not the greatest, as you can imagine with me coming so close, but they have formidable teeth as you can see.

While I don't mind them at all eating the tunas, I do hope they move on because javelinas can cause a great amount of damage in your landscape, mainly by digging for roots. But seeing them here, and so seemingly at ease was very cool.