I Finally figured out what it was!

I wasn’t sure. It ran out in front of the truck a few weeks ago when I was driving from San Antonio to Austin. I had to pull over to the side of the road, because it scared me so bad I had to clutch myself.

Now – things have run in front of my vehicle before – Jack Rabbits, possums, skunks, racoons, snakes (althought not technically “running”) squirrels, rats, dogs, cats, small children, even an armadillo. (oh and a stray gator in Louisiana).

But because I didn’t know what this thing was – I was a little shaken.

Then, I was having lunch with another California transplant who was telling a horrendous story about how his dog killed one of these things. He didn’t know what it was either. It kinda looked like a wild boar. Turns out it’s not even a swine relative at all. A neighbor told him.. “yep. that’s a hav-ah-leen-ah” (you know. in that slowish texas drawl).

Well, he didn’t know what to do with it either. In Sacramento – I don’t know I’ve ever had a dead Javalina in the front yard – stinkin up the place. (Apparently – they smell way before they’re dead).

So my California-transplant friend called around to find out what one does when one has a dead Peccary fertilizing the lawn. It appears from our fine folks at animal control – or the Texas equivalent of – that what ya need isn’t an animal control professional. What ya need – is a buzzard.

Now, I’ve seen these. When driving down a back road through hill country with the top down, you occassionally see them circling. You can even see them take flight from the road – which is a warning that there’s one of them there Peccarys or armadillo’s that didn’t dodge a pickup truck fast enough. They are big birds! And ugly.

Sure enough my California-transplant friend waited and after a few days, like a prophecy spelled out ona Ouja board, the buzzards came! In just a days time, no carcass left! So – there ya go. For all of my friends in California who wouldn’t know what to do if a Javalina was in your yard or what one even is – consider yourself educated.