Orphaned baby javelinas taken in by Tucson refuge
A wildlife rescue and rehabilitation group in Tucson is looking after a pair of days-old javelinas who were separated from their herd.
The babies were left behind after the herd was scared away by dogs and, instead of walking away, the dog owners picked up the javelinas and took them home to care for them, according to the Tucson Wildlife Center.
Once the people realized it was illegal to hold native wildlife, they took the babies — who still had their umbilical cords attached — to a veterinarian clinic, which called the Wildlife Center.
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Because the people who picked up the babies didn't give the vet their contact information or information about where the javelinas were found, staff at the Wildlife Center are unable to return them to their mother, the center said in a statement.
The babies instead will be placed with the center's two adult javelinas who have fostered hundreds of other orphans, the statement said. Once the babies are old enough, they will be released on a safe ranch site.
The Wildlife Center asks that people don't approach or pick up baby javelinas if they are spotted, and leave the area so that the herd has a chance to return for the babies. If there is a safety concern, contact the Tucson Wildlife Center at 520-290-WILD.