# @downinnadesert on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DeM58QqGucb
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/71448728-downinnadesert-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/4375edab26.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-10-07T17:33:42.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Down In The Desert🌵 (@downinnadesert) — https://gondola.cc/downinnadesert

## Caption

Arizona wildlife officials are asking residents to keep real pumpkins off the porch this Halloween.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department says pumpkins, gourds and other fall decorations left outside can draw wildlife into neighborhoods, including javelinas, coyotes, deer and bears. Officials have also named mountain lions as a possibility. “A ripened pumpkin sitting outdoors is like candy for javelinas,” said urban wildlife specialist Darren Julian. Department spokesman Mark Hart said officials don’t want to be “the Grinch that stole Halloween,” but do want to avoid problems for people, pets and animals.

The department’s recommendations:

Use artificial pumpkins for outdoor displays.
Keep real pumpkins and other edible decorations indoors, such as in a window where they can still be seen from outside.
If they have to go outside, keep them high off the ground where wildlife can’t reach them.
Dispose of them securely afterward so animals can’t get into the trash.

Hart said wildlife use washes to move into populated areas, and if they find food, water and shelter, they stay. Game and Fish says feeding wildlife unintentionally can also cause obesity, malnutrition and the spread of disease in animals, and that animals used to human food sources can lead to property damage and injuries to people or pets.

State law also applies. Under A.R.S. 13-2927, it’s a petty offense to intentionally, knowingly or recklessly feed or attract wildlife in Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties, with a fine of up to $300. Birds and tree squirrels are exempt. Bills to add an exemption for holiday decorations have been introduced in the legislature, but the current statute does not list one.

To report aggressive wildlife, call the Game and Fish 24-hour line at 623-236-7201.

#Arizona #ArizonaNews #Halloween #ArizonaWildlife #Javelina

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## Credits

No public credits are recorded here. This does not identify who made the post.

## Tags

javelina, halloween, arizonanews, arizona, arizonawildlife

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