After a javelina was found shot dead in the central Tucson business district, the Arizona Game and Fish Department is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the shooter.
The department said the javelina was killed sometime between the evening of Oct. 21 and the early morning of Oct. 22. It’s unlawful to kill or injure javelinas in Arizona without a hunting permit, due to their protected status as a big game animal.
Mark Hart is with Game & Fish. He says javelinas can be aggressive, so this could be a case of self-defense.
“That’s always a possibility, which is why we need to talk to the individual, or individuals, involved to ascertain what occurred there. It probably was a nuisance javelina of some kind," Hart said.
In addition to “illegal take of wildlife” charges, Hart said the department is also looking toward charges of shooting within a quarter mile of a structure.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the department.
