Arizona Game and Fish Department

Javelina are classified as a big game species in Arizona.

State officials are once again warning people not to feed wildlife.

Mark Hart of the Game and Fish Department says in a couple recent cases people have been bitten by javelina after feeding them in their backyards.

“They do have sharp teeth and can inflict a pretty serious puncture wound, which will require, at a minimum, stitches,” Hart said.

He said people make the assumption the animals cannot find what they need to eat in their natural environment, and he said that is not true.

Hart said the danger of trying to feed javelina is even greater for people who have dogs, because the animals see them as being coyotes, one of their natural predators.