BY: JUDY KURTZ

IN THE HILL
 

Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) wasn’t kidding when he told us exotic animals run wild just steps from his abode.

Over the weekend, the congressman posted a photo on Twitter of one of his two pet cats, Leo, staring out the window at an unusual-looking, four-legged creature busy checking out the grass on the lawn. Schweikert wrote, “Look, Mom! There’s a big beast in our yard!”

It turns out the “beast” is actually a javelina, which have made a habit of running around outside Schweikert’s Arizona home. We hear the javelinas — members of the pig family that can weigh in at nearly 90 pounds — have even tried to take up residence with the Schweikert family, attempting to wiggle their way into the house via their canine Charlie’s dog-door.

Back in February, Schweikert mentioned the javelinas, also called skunk pigs, when explaining his affinity for wearing boots: “I also live out in the middle of the desert, so if you step outside my front door, you’re just as likely to run into a javelina or a rattlesnake as a cactus.”