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Javelina traps itself in car, knocks vehicle into neutral in pursuit of Cheetos

"Who doesn’t love a midnight Cheeto snack?” the Yavapai County, Arizona, Sheriff’s Office asked.

A javelina in Arizona got stuck in a car last week during a pursuit for Cheetos, officials said.

The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy responded to a call on Wednesday and found the creature in a Subaru station wagon.

The deputy learned from neighbors and the owner of the car that the hatchback had been left open overnight "and the javelina jumped inside attempting to eat a bag" of Cheetos, according to a statement from the sheriff's office.

A Javelina was found in a vehicle in Cornville, Ariz., on April 6, 2022.
A javelina was found in a vehicle in Cornville, Arizona, on April 6, 2022.Yavapai County Sheriff's Office

"Can you blame him, who doesn’t love a midnight Cheeto snack?" the agency asked in the statement.

When the javelina got into the car, the hatch shook closed, trapping the animal. The javelina licked "the Cheeto bag crumb-less" and made an unsuccessful attempt to escape the car, according to the sheriff's office.

The animal tore through part of the dashboard and the passenger door. It also knocked the car into neutral, causing it to roll out of the driveway and across the street.

The sheriff’s office said no one was injured. The deputy who responded opened the hatch and allowed the javelina to return to the wilderness.

"As a reminder, if you’re in the Southwest, you probably already know it’s best not to feed javelina," said the sheriff's office statement. "Yes, it’s tempting, but when wild animals are fed by people it draws them into neighborhoods and can create unnecessary conflicts." 

Javelinas are also known as peccaries or skunk pigs.