News Release:
Avoiding Feeding Wildlife Is Best For Everyone
Outdoor News Daily Reports On Why People Should Not Feed Wildlife In Their Area After A Couple Javelina Attacks On The Elderly Were Called In Due To Them Feeding The Herd At Their Homes.
Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved and first published through Outdoor News Daily's website.
SEDONA, Arizona — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) reminds the public to stop feeding wildlife following two javelina attacks near Sedona last month. Javelinas are also known as collared peccary, or medium-sized animals that resemble a wild boar. Both attacks were the result of people feeding javelina at their homes. On Feb. 5, AZ Game and Fish received information that a 79-year-old woman was bitten by a javelina in a neighborhood southwest of Sedona. The attack occurred at around 4 p.m. at the woman’s residence, where she received severe bite wounds to her leg as she tried to stop the javelina from attacking her dogs. A responding Game and Fish wildlife officer confirmed the woman was intentionally feeding a herd of javelina at her home. The victim was sent to a Sedone medical center and no serious injuries occurred. The second incident occurred on Feb 25. The department received information that an elderly man was bitten by a javelina in Oak Creek Village as he was feeding a herd of javelina in his backyard. The wild animals become aggressive after they did not receive food quickly enough for their appetites. The victim has undergone preventative rabies shot series.
In cases like these, the AZGFD has no other choice but to order the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Service to lethal removal of the javelinas within a quarter-mile radius of the victims’ residences. The department is tasked with managing all wildlife in Arizona and working to ensure public safety. The Department urges the stop of irresponsible feeding so they are not forced to euthanize any more wildlife. To report unusual wildlife sightings or behavior call your local Arizona Game and Fish Department office or the appropriate county community health services department. For more information, visit AZGFD 's website.
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