Javelinas attack 64-year-old Arizona woman walking dog. Here's how to stay safe

Corrections and clarifications: An earlier version of this article misidentified the appearance and background of javelinas.

A Tucson woman was attacked and bitten by a group of javelinas on Thursday afternoon, the Arizona Game and Fish Department said.

The 64-year-old victim was walking her dog at La Madera Park near Tucson Boulevard and Glenn Street when one or more javelinas bit her on the arm and ankle, according to a news release.

Game and Fish said a total of five javelinas were involved in the incident.

The woman was taken to the hospital for treatment and released later that day.

What are javelinas?

Javelinas are similar in appearance to wild pigs that but are part of the peccary family that originated in South America, according to Game and Fish.

Adult javelinas can reach 40 to 50 pounds and instinctually travel in packs of sometimes more than 20.

Game and Fish said it's normal for Arizonans to live alongside javelinas, especially in semi-urban areas or those near a natural desert.

What to do if you see a javelina?

Game and Fish provided these tips to stay safe around javelinas:

• Never feed javelinas.

• Leave the area if you see javelinas when walking a dog.

• Scare off the animals by making loud noises, using a garden hose, or using a one-part ammonia to nine-part water combination in a water gun.

• Allow a confined animal to escape by leaving all gates open.

Game and Fish said to contact its radio dispatcher at 623-236-7201 if a javelina is acting aggressively toward people or cannot escape a property easily.

Game and Fish said that dogs can be a possible aggravator for wild javelinas.

"Javelina think dogs are coyotes, which prey on them. Go the opposite way if seen," according to a Game and Fish warning.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Javelinas attack 64-year-old Arizona woman walking dog