Some Phoenix residents recently got a rare javelina sighting. ABC 15 reported that the javelina was caught on Ring camera video walking through the Windsor Square Historic Neighborhood near Central and Camelback Road.
Javelinas are typically found on the outskirts of the Valley, in cities like Scottsdale. The animals will sometimes wander further into the Valley looking for food.
Javelinas have been spotted in downtown Phoenix near 7th Street and Jefferson. According to Arizona Game and Fish Department spokesperson Any Burnett, javelina sightings in urban neighborhoods may become more common in the future because of humans.
Burnett explained, "A lot of javelina that have become urbanized are because people are helping them out, feeding them, and attracting them with food."
Javelinas love cat food and since people often set out food for feral cats, they are accidentally luring the javelinas into neighborhoods.
Burnett says to be smart about potential javelina sightings. "Turn around if you're walking in their path, but if you're too close, make yourself big and make a lot of noise to try to scare them off," she said.
Check out the video of the javelinas walking through a Phoenix neighborhood on ABC 15's website.