Two baby javelinas were saved and later reunited with their mother this week thanks to a creative plan from local animal experts.
The one-week-old babies were found on a porch in the Catalina Foothills area, said Marc Hammond of Animal Experts Inc., who was dispatched to the area.
He recorded the babies sleeping in the corner before taking them away to find out how to safely reunite the animals.
"We want dearly to get these two back to their mom," Hammond said.
The call came in Monday morning to rescue the babies and by that evening, a plan was already underway to reunite them with their mother.
Thanks to an idea from his business partner Jeff Carver, Hammond set up a well-ventilated box with water and shade for the babies. The animals were relocated around 200 feet away from the porch where they were found.
He said the javelinas strong sense of smell would bring the mother back to the area.
Hammond soon learned early Tuesday that the box had been tipped over and the babies were reunited with their mother.
The Animal Experts team is currently capturing and relocating two herds from the area to safer locations designated by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
Hammond said it's likely the family will rejoin their pack which is typical for the animals.
Through seven months this year Tucson has seen its share of animal rescues and relocations.
In May, Hammond was called to a Tucson restaurant where a badger was found among beer kegs. An employee told Hammond the badger "scared the pants off him."
A dishwasher at a midtown chain restaurant in Tucson went behind the restaurant Wednesday morning and this badger "scared the pants off him," said Marc Hammond of Animal Experts, Inc., who removed the animal.
It was a rare sight for Hammond who has relocated around a handful of North American Badgers from the Tucson area.
A Tucson woman's attempt to save a dazed owl she hit with her car turned into an unexpected ordeal in May. The great horned owl revived and latched onto her sleeve and steering wheel.
A spray of water later got the owl to leave her vehicle. She spent 20 minutes with the Arizona Game and Fish Department for help getting the owl to leave.
Recently, Hammond relocated a mallard and her nine ducklings to a safe home after taking them from a dangerous pool in the Tucson area.
"A lot of times they don't live because of the chlorine in the water," Hammond said. He relocated them to the Sweetwater Wetlands Park.
Cooper's hawks had Tucsonans taking cover on the city's northside in June as the birds were trying to deter people away from getting close to their nests.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department suggested people alter their routes away from nearby nests and use an open umbrella to protect the upper body.
More than a dozen calls were fielded by the department about the hawks "attacking" people.
