The Republic | azcentral.com

A Fountain Hills woman is recovering after she was attacked by a herd of javelinas while walking her dogs last weekend, and wildlife officials say neighbors who were illegally feeding the animals are partly to blame.

The woman had her two dogs on leashes the night of April 30 when the herd emerged from a nearby wash, crossed the road and charged them, according to an Arizona Game and Fish Department statement.

She fell to the ground and was mauled by two javelinas that tore at her neck and upper body with their teeth. A neighbor and the woman's husband arrived at about the same time to free her from the animals while the other four javelinas continued to chase her dogs, said Amy Burnett, a Game and Fish spokeswoman.

The woman underwent surgery and remained hospitalized Friday night, Burnett said. One of the dogs also needed surgery. The other was unharmed after a neighbor intercepted it.

"We are fortunate that the attack was not worse,” Burnett said. “Attacks by javelina on humans are rare, but when they happen, public safety is our main concern.”

Burnett said the woman is being treated for rabies, although it's not yet known if the javelinas were rabid. All six were "lethally removed," and their remains will be tested for rabies and other potentially transmittable diseases, she said.

Since the attack, wildlife officials determined that people living in two nearby homes had been intentionally feeding javelinas and coyotes in recent months, which Burnett said could account for the herd's behavior. It is against the law in Maricopa County to feed wild animals other than birds and squirrels, she said.

It wasn't clear Friday night if anyone had been cited for illegally feeding wildlife.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department encourages people to report feeding violations to its confidential Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-352-0700. Aggressive or unusual wildlife behavior may be reported to Game and Fish during business hours at 480-981-9400 or anytime at 623-236-7201.

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