Pipp
Well-Known Member
I'll add to this that I have afamily of skunks living under my house, and they never spray,absolutely nothing rattles them. They'refearlessand quite friendly, although they mostly ignore us. I almoststepped on one, she got a bit miffed, but just shuffled away in ahuff.Really wouldn't want to see this guy euthanized.
Skunk seeks ride home: only brave need apply
By Wojtek Dabrowski Tue Jan 16, 9:01 AM ET
TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian wildlife officials are looking for a bravedriver prepared for a 2,200 mile trip to take a stinky stowaway skunkback to her home in California.
But the skunk, who survived a seven-day journey across the UnitedStates and into Canada without food and water, after being accidentallylocked away in a transport truck, is having a hard time finding someoneto give her a ride home.
"We can never give a no-spray guarantee, of course," said NathalieKarvonen, executive director at the Toronto Wildlife Center, which hasbeen caring for the skunk since January 5, referring to theblack-and-white striped animal's foul-smelling defense mechanism.
"It would have be somebody who would be prepared for that possibility."
Releasing her into the wild in Canada is out of the question, Karvonen said.
"It's totally and utterly illegal from a provincial and federal standpoint to release a California skunk in Ontario."
As well, "skunks are very territorial animals ... "They won't justreadily accept a stranger in their territory, so there will be a bigskunk fight."
The skunk likely dozed off in some piping being stored in a yard inCalifornia. The cargo was eventually loaded onto a truck toMississauga, Ontario, just west of Toronto.
"She was certainly a bit dehydrated and thin when we got her," Karvonensaid. "Luckily, at this time of the year, even in California, a skunkwould likely have more fat reserves ... so that was probably fortunatefor her."
While airlines usually agree to return such "accidental travelers" forfree, Karvonen said the response has not been positive in thisparticular case.
Frankly, she's not surprised.
"I wouldn't want to fly on a plane with a skunk either," she said."She's not necessarily going to spray, but I'm sure a skunk has neverexperienced takeoff and landing and those are pretty startling things,and that's usually when they spray."
Skunks can blast their sulfurous spray as far as 10 feet from two analscent glands, leaving victims with stinging eyes and gasping for air.
Ground transport is the most likely way to get the skunk home, so theWildlife Center is looking either for a private driver traveling toCalifornia or a willing trucking company with the Pacific Coast stateon its route.
"At least if you're in a car, you can stop and roll down the windows,"Karvonen said. "If you're on a plane for five hours, you don't have alot of options there."
She added that, despite the problem of finding transport, putting the animal down was out of the question.
"It is a perfectly healthy animal who's just gotten away from its hometerritory. Certainly, to euthanize it just because she doesn't have aride home is not a nice option for us."
Those with an idea on how to get the animal home can contact the Toronto Wildlife Center at 1-416-631-0662.
Skunk seeks ride home: only brave need apply
By Wojtek Dabrowski Tue Jan 16, 9:01 AM ET
TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian wildlife officials are looking for a bravedriver prepared for a 2,200 mile trip to take a stinky stowaway skunkback to her home in California.
But the skunk, who survived a seven-day journey across the UnitedStates and into Canada without food and water, after being accidentallylocked away in a transport truck, is having a hard time finding someoneto give her a ride home.
"We can never give a no-spray guarantee, of course," said NathalieKarvonen, executive director at the Toronto Wildlife Center, which hasbeen caring for the skunk since January 5, referring to theblack-and-white striped animal's foul-smelling defense mechanism.
"It would have be somebody who would be prepared for that possibility."
Releasing her into the wild in Canada is out of the question, Karvonen said.
"It's totally and utterly illegal from a provincial and federal standpoint to release a California skunk in Ontario."
As well, "skunks are very territorial animals ... "They won't justreadily accept a stranger in their territory, so there will be a bigskunk fight."
The skunk likely dozed off in some piping being stored in a yard inCalifornia. The cargo was eventually loaded onto a truck toMississauga, Ontario, just west of Toronto.
"She was certainly a bit dehydrated and thin when we got her," Karvonensaid. "Luckily, at this time of the year, even in California, a skunkwould likely have more fat reserves ... so that was probably fortunatefor her."
While airlines usually agree to return such "accidental travelers" forfree, Karvonen said the response has not been positive in thisparticular case.
Frankly, she's not surprised.
"I wouldn't want to fly on a plane with a skunk either," she said."She's not necessarily going to spray, but I'm sure a skunk has neverexperienced takeoff and landing and those are pretty startling things,and that's usually when they spray."
Skunks can blast their sulfurous spray as far as 10 feet from two analscent glands, leaving victims with stinging eyes and gasping for air.
Ground transport is the most likely way to get the skunk home, so theWildlife Center is looking either for a private driver traveling toCalifornia or a willing trucking company with the Pacific Coast stateon its route.
"At least if you're in a car, you can stop and roll down the windows,"Karvonen said. "If you're on a plane for five hours, you don't have alot of options there."
She added that, despite the problem of finding transport, putting the animal down was out of the question.
"It is a perfectly healthy animal who's just gotten away from its hometerritory. Certainly, to euthanize it just because she doesn't have aride home is not a nice option for us."
Those with an idea on how to get the animal home can contact the Toronto Wildlife Center at 1-416-631-0662.
