Stories And Poems

My first memories were of warm soft bodies wiggling and competing for yummy milk, and the smell of musk and other earthly odors.  After a few weeks of eating, sleeping and bumping into things, I saw a new world.  I got to see my big black and white Mama who took care of me and the five other critters climbing around us.  She told me they were my siblings.

Mama worked so hard to keep us and our den clean. Life was wonderful and comfortable and I was curious about the light in the distance.  I started to crawl towards the light and my brother and sisters followed.  Mama scolded us and told us to stay where we were.

Later Mama left to get us food and the light started to disappear.  We snuck over to look out and it was scary.  Aramis, my daring rebellious brother, went out into the dusk to explore as we watched in awe.  Mama wasn’t going to be back for a while.  Then all of a sudden he disappeared into the sky!  Silently, a big flying thing swooped down and picked Aramis up and we never saw him again.  What happened to Aramis?  We were afraid to go outside again.

Mama came back with food and noticed that one of her babies was missing.  She was very sad and nervous that we might do the same next time she was gone.  She decided it was time to teach us about the hard cruel world outside of our safe den.  Mama told us the things above us were humans.  They didn’t make much noise and it was all right to live this close.

She took us out the next dawn.  It was still a little dark outside.  I was scared.  Chantilly, Chloe, Joy and Chanel were too.  We missed our big brother and were afraid of the big flying thing.      

Mama showed us where the fat juicy crawly things were.  We dug holes and played and tried eating one.  Mmmm, they tasted good, so we gobbled up a bunch until our tummies were hurting.  She took us over to the bottom of a tree where lots of sweet juicy colorful things were.  They tasted great and there were more squirmy things there.  The humans left containers of hard round things all the time so we could eat there too.  We thought that we would never have to leave our den with this constant supply of food for us.

The next dusk Mama left us alone to sleep because our bellies were still full from the previous morning.  We slept through the night because our first morning of foraging wore us out.  When we awoke Mama wasn’t there.  Did she come back and leave again without us noticing?  Mama said to wait, so we did.

The light at the den opening disappeared and reappeared again.  Where was our Mama?  We were getting very hungry and little Joy was getting sick. We didn’t know what to do, but we had to go look for our Mama when it was dark.We peeked out from our protective den and ventured out looking for our Mama.  We smelled a very strong odor that was new to us, but instinctively we followed our noses.  A big, mean, noisy animal bothered us and we tried to warn it to leave us alone, but it wouldn’t stop, so we tried real hard to spray it in the eyes, but our aim wasn’t good enough and we didn’t have enough spray to save ourselves.  Luckily, the collective smell we made alerted the animal’s human friend and it was taken inside the human’s den.  We left our huddle in the corner and went off again following our noses.  We went through a hole and found another human den that had many meow creatures.  They didn’t bother us so we ate some of their food.  Then we crossed some real hard ground that had big, horrible, noisy monsters that moved real fast.  There was our Mama laying in the middle of it all.  We found it hard to get to her with monsters moving all over the place.  Chanel ran to Mama and found her just lying there.  She pushed her with her nose and stamped on her, but she wouldn’t wake up.   While running back to tell us, she was hurt by a monster.  I was really scared now with Mama not waking up, Chanel hurt and Joy sick, never finding Aramis, and the rest of us were very hungry.  We didn’t know where to go.   Could we find our den again?  What would we do about Chanel?  We stayed huddled in the bushes near Chanel and with Mama in sight and we were so hungry!

Then a monster stopped and a human stepped out of it to look at Mama, then talked to Chanel.  The human was a nice female, not threatening at all, and she picked up Chanel.  She looked around and came over to the bush because Chloe was stamping her feet noisily.  She carefully picked us all up and put us in the monster and took us away.  She put us together where it was warm and fed us warm milk just like Mama’s, and helped Chanel get better.  We figured that she wasn’t going to eat or hurt us, so we decided not to spray her.  She squirt strange-tasting things in our mouths, put us in sweet-smelling water, picked fleas off of us, dried us off, and we felt safe enough to sleep.

Life with the female human was nice and safe.  She taught us things that we needed to know and gave us a big place to live that had logs, bushes, dirt to dig in, and dens to hide in.  We ate plenty of bugs and mice.

We got poked and pricked now and then, but it was all right.  We trusted her, but we were getting older and bigger and we were changing and one day she took us somewhere else and left us.  We knew what to do in that new place. There were no fast monsters, very few humans, and plenty of foods that we recognized and loved.

The human came back every day to look for us, but we just watched from our hiding place.  We liked her, but didn’t want anything to do with humans any more.  We don’t need them or any part of their strange life. We will do just fine on our own. . . .   after all, we are SKUNKS!

                                           THE END

Solutions and remedies won’t be covered in this article since it would take too much space, but if you need this information, feel free to contact our organization listed at the end or a similar organization. 

BATS are useful predators and help to control insects.  A single little brown bat can consume up to 3,000 mosquitoes every night.   Many species of bats are endangered.  They do not chew holes or electrical wiring if they should get in your attic. 

COYOTES could benefit the community by reducing the numbers of rats, mice, and other small mammals, if residents would stop providing them with even more convenient meals - intentionally left out food or by leaving small pets outdoors without supervision. 

They are often blamed for garbage damage done by loose dogs, especially for taking livestock which are mostly taken by packs of domestic dogs. 

MICE AND RATS  are gnawers and can cause damage to buildings, especially when they chew through insulation and wiring.  Rodents are drawn to stored food, and can contaminate it with their feces and urine.  They are drawn to bird feeding stations and pet food. 
 
Even though you can learn to coexist with these animals, if you have taken all measures to rodent-proof your house, it is much easier to let the local wildlife keep these populations down and away from your home. 

OPOSSUM do not dig holes.  They are transient, so never stay in one place for more than 2-3 days.  They are placid and docile, except to the real vermin that they eat - rats, mice, snails, and other garden pests. 

RACCOONS are a comical neighborhood clean-up crew.  Like the skunk, coyote and opossum they keep down the populations of REAL pests.  As long as you don’t leave your pet door open at night, and holes to your attic they shouldn’t be a problem. 

SKUNKS are another very misunderstood and maligned creature.  Many myths were created to justify killing this animal instead of risk getting sprayed.  Once you know what their body language means and how to act around them, they are very easy to coexist with - provided you keep your dogs inside from dusk to dawn.  Watching them from afar can be a wonderous means of entertainment! 

They too rid your neighborhoods of rodents and harmful garden pests.  They have been known to kill and eat rattlesnakes, black widow spiders, scorpions, and centipedes, being immune to the venom. 

OTHER LARGER CARNIVORES  such as the bear (omnivore), mountain lion, wolves, etc. can be a safer coexistence if you take certain precautions.  If you are camping, hiking, jogging or bicycling in an area that is known to have any of these animals, you should educate yourself about bear boxes and other proper containment of food, and REAL facts about these local animals.  For instance, if you should ever find yourself being chased by a mountain lion or encounter a bear, DO NOT RUN.  You will become a toy, and more enticing to chase.  Remember, stop, make yourself larger (put your child on your shoulders, bicycle or jacket over your head, make threatening movements).  They will stop in their tracks and run away. 

You can contact your local Humane Society to get tips on how to coexist with your problem wild animals, or how to get in contact with wildlife groups who are more specialized in the animal you have questions about.  Again, do not trap.  Take the time to find out more about this animal and the simple things you can do to improve your relationship with nature. 

All of these animals would prefer to live as far away from humans as possible.  Even though people are encroaching on the homes of these animals, many learn to adapt.  A skunk, opossum or raccoon are perfectly happy to live under your home.  But the real reason they are there is because people lure them there.  They create their own problems by leaving a steady supply of pet food outside (95% reason); improper storage of pet food in their garage; leaving their pet door open during the hours that these animals forage for food; improper garbage storage; not closing off holes in attic, under homes or in fences; even unprotected compost heaps. 

There is a great availability of room and board.  A downtown environment is almost ideally suited for nuisance critters.  Trees, old houses, and abundance of edible trash make downtown a prime spot for warm-blooded creatures great and small.  Raccoons can grow to 30 pounds on a feral gourmet diet of pet food and human leftovers.  Downtown is also home to legions of opossums, rats, and other animals. 

Here is a picture of a wildlife haven.  This customer doesn’t want the deer to eat his beautiful roses, or the skunks, raccoons and opossums to drink from his lily pond, waterfalls, or live under the open decks.  But he complains that they are turning up his flowers and lawn.  If he had a better fence, and a closed off deck, they wouldn’t be able to get in.  These aren’t easy solutions and are costly, but there are simple solutions.  Rather than trap every animal and relocate them elsewhere (better than having them killed!), he could mix a solution of 8 oz. of castor oil, 8 oz. of dish soap (mix well), then add to 1 gal. of water, and spray around yard to ward off these animals. This solution conditions the soil and doesn’t damage the lawn or flowers. 

There have been extensive studies that proves that trapping and removing wildlife never works.  You are wasting your time and money.  More of these animals will move in to the abandoned territory.  As long as the unnatural food supply remains, they will have larger litters, more females, and more litters.  This unique reproductive strategy is a safeguard against extermination.  It is not fair to these animals to lure them there and then kill or disrupt their lives, most of the time making orphans of their offspring that are left behind. 

The average person doesn’t know when mating or baby season is, nor do many of them care.  People in the business of trapping and extermination are in the business to make money, so they give you the option to trap.  There are some that care about animals and just want to do what you ask, so they relocate or transport to wildlife rehabilitation facilities or to a wilderness area.  But a responsible wildlife consultant will not give you this option.  It does not work! 

I have been helping people locally, nationally and in Canada for six years and almost always when people are having problems with skunks, it is because pet food is left on or near the ground.  Once the food is removed, they relocate themselves (usually to another home that leaves food out for them, but then maybe I’ll get a call from them as well). 

More and more people are looking for more humane solutions.  This is why I receive approximately an average of 100 calls a week.  When people are looking for help, they call Animal Control and Humane Societies, where they many times turn people away and tell them that they don’t go out on these calls any more, and to call a trapper or borrow one of their traps.  They even refer calls to me because they know I will recommend practical humane solutions.  But when they do come out in response to your call, since many callers don’t think or care to ask what will happen to this trapped animal, they find out the hard way that they are destroyed (shot, gassed, drowned and worse).  Do not assume that they will be delivered to Shangrala. 
 
Well-meaning people often create problems by giving handouts to wild animals.  What they don’t realize is that they are really killing them.  It should not be done for these reasons: 

1)  It teaches them unnatural behavior.  A skunk used to finding food on this person’s porch will beg at the neighbor’s porch.  The neighbor then calls to have the animal removed and then it is destroyed most of the time. 

2)  Even high-quality cat food causes obesity, liver failure, and metabolic bone disease in most of these animals. 

3)  It keeps them from doing their important job of ridding our neighborhoods of real pests. 
 
What it really boils down to is that, according to nature, humans are really the nuisance animal.

Remember me, skunk friend
I wish you the best
 and now, my love, 
lay down and rest.

A Walk With Nature (Nuissance Animals)

A colleague of mine named Glenda Henderson (glenda@airmail.net) wrote a wonderful story about skunks that I'd like to share with you. She writes wildlife articles for the Cedar Hill Sentinel in Texas called "A Walk With Nature". It is the third article, but you will also enjoy the stories about the rabbits and squirrels too. Octavia Brandenburg took the cute picture of baby skunks helping themselves to Cheez-Its (my favorite junk food too). The only thing I don't agree with is using ammonia and moth balls as deterrents. She did mention that they are toxic to us when handling, but it is also toxic to the animals and environment. And they rarely work anyway. Many people complain that these odors are WORSE than the skunks they are trying to encourage to leave!

Click here: http://web2.airmail.net/~glenda/index10.html

What I am going to address is the most common question and concern regarding skunks, and that is what to do if you get sprayed.  What I teach is how not to get sprayed.  Prevention is the most important thing to know.

First, I’ll cover the skunk personality, which is unlike any other creature on earth.

The skunk is a sweet and gentle, but cocky, character.  He is greatly respected by wild animals.  Unlike domestic animals, their wild animal neighbors learn “street smarts” from a young age.  Mom says leave the black and white critter with the bushy tail alone!!

Skunks learn to get by on posturing alone.  A skunk can actually get through their life without ever spraying.  Or in extreme and rare situations, they can hold down up to six attackers and get away to safety.

Posturing is meant to scare off the curious, the attacker, and the silly.  Usually the only creatures that can make a skunk actually spray are dogs (that never seem to learn to leave skunks alone), ridiculous people, the great horned owl, and automobiles.

Ready, aim and fire is the method they use.  “Ready” is raising the tail, stamping the ground and turning their rear end towards whatever has them alarmed.  (It is like having an intruder in your home or hearing suspicious noises and you grab your gun and announce that you have a gun.)  The skunk is preparing for a potential attack.  “Aim” is stamping the ground furiously, trying to be louder, larger, snuff-grunting, and looking over their shoulder (which I call the “three-eyed monster”) and even poking out their little pink jets.  (This is the same as cocking the gun, taking the safety off, aiming it and announcing that you will shoot if they take one step closer!)  Usually at this point a human makes the mistake of screaming and running for the hills, BUT this action WILL cause the skunk to spray!  “Fire” is the obvious, but rarely ever happens.  Only a pretty stupid person will go towards a skunk or armed person after all these clear announcements!!

Think of their ability to spray six times as a precious commodity, that they only have six bullets.  This is why they don’t go about spraying willy nilly.  It must be a life-threatening situation to get them to spray.  It takes up to 24 hours to recharge.  Being that a skunk will rarely, if ever, be in this situation in a lifetime, they would most likely never be without this weapon.     

The difference between spraying and “whiffing”.  Most of the time when people think a skunk has sprayed, it has only whiffed.  Skunks whiff during mating season.  They have induced ovulation so it is a violent form of sex, hence a fragrant time of the year.  It is usually in the winter when they are less active . . . well, less active outside of their nest!  Baby season is in the spring and summer, and while they are in training they whiff now and then.  General squabbling among each other consists of nipping, squealing and the occasional whiff.  Full on spraying carries a quarter of a mile, lasts usually about two weeks, and can drive a nauseous person to leave home.  It very slowly dissipates.  Whiffing, on the other hand, is quite strong at first, but dissipates in a couple hours.  It is merely a pungent fart.

The skunk’s first defense is their bold black and white pattern and huge bristling tail standing up like a flag.  Their second line of defense is their posturing.  I believe that their defense being the ability to spray is a myth, which is just a last ditch attempt.  The skunk does not need speed or even their teeth to defend themselves.  Like Pepe le Pew, they just trot along with very little fear.  “Only a fool weel mess wiz me, no?”

I have learned to know how skunks think.  When I do consultations at homes, businesses and city parks, I know where they will choose to live, where they will nest, feed and exit.  I know exactly why they have moved into the neighborhood and how to get them to leave on their own.

It is because I understand this species so well that I have never been sprayed and wish to teach everyone else that works with this animal how to make their experience easy and safe.

Various painless rescues.  Whether you are picking up an injured adult skunk; approaching, removing or examining a skunk in a trap, deep window well, swimming pool or pond, or in a open basement, or gathering up a group of baby skunks in the open, I usually just pick them up.

Tools of the trade.  No need for catch-poles, nets and rarely even a trap.  The most important tool is a large towel.  (I wet the towel if it is very windy.)  When approaching a skunk in just about any situation, the towel held in front of you hides your movements.  You look over the top of the towel to watch the posturing.  If you feel uncomfortable, just pause a few seconds and then continue on.

When you get close to the skunk, pause a few seconds and then slowly and quietly lower the towel over the trap or the untrapped skunk.  I normally lower the towel over the skunk’s head so it feels safe.  That leaves the tail visible so you can deal with that end safely.  With the head covered, quickly lift the skunk by the base of the tail and place it where it can run off to safety (in the case where it is in a window well or pool).  Sometimes you may want to place it in a carrier so you can remove it from a basement or examine it to see if it is a male or a pregnant/ lactating female.

Certain times of the year, you’ll want to examine the skunk in a trap before releasing him/her.  If she is pregnant, she can be released, but if lactating, you will have to crawl under the house to find the babies so they can be released together.  In a wire trap, I just look underneath to check.  The skunk will not spray when doing this.  In the case of a non-see-through trap, I just tilt it up, use the towel to block the skunk’s vision, and pick up the skunk by the tail to do the quick examination.

Since skunks can’t climb up their body to bite, I don’t even wear gloves, although for safety reasons I still recommend wearing them.  I just feel more confident with my bare hands.  Many skilled crafts people prefer using their bare hands.  (Of course, I have had my rabies shots.)

My skunk experiences:

I feel I have handled the skunk in every possible situation and still never have been sprayed.  I’ve handled a mother skunk with her six kits for a week until release, many injured skunks, seizuring skunks, and babies from several days of age on up.  I have rescued skunks from deep window wells, pools, trapped in people’s homes, down deeper narrow holes, etc.  I have removed baby skunks from under buildings and other structures, and dragged dead skunks out from under houses, and torn up floors from the inside of homes to remove dead bodies.  I’ve come out screaming covered with fleas, ants, and even two black widow spiders in my hair!!

The only time I won’t handle a skunk is when an adult is under a building.  That is the only time I use a trap and it is only to release it on the property or not far away.  I believe that this is the time when one would surely get sprayed if using any other technique.

Most people’s fear of the skunk causes the opposite result.  Many people put the skunk in the back of an open pick-up truck to get as far away from a potential spraying incident, that they actually cause it to spray!  Covering a skunk with plastic will surely make it spray because they can’t stand the sound.  Covering the carrier or trap with anything that will flap and fly around will make it spray.  You are better off having the skunk IN your vehicle (even on the seat next to you) than the alternative.  The only time a litter of baby kits whiffed was when a police siren went off right when it pulled up along side my truck!!  I drove the rest of the way home with my head hanging out the window!!

By the way, when you grab a skunk’s tail, be quick and deliberate when doing so.  Make sure you have a carrier prepared to place him in or point him in the right direction when releasing.  You do not want to hesitate or take too much time when doing this.  Confident and quick is key!

The Skunk Whisperer.  I have actually gently talked to the skunks before dealing with them.  I once cornered a skunk in a small basement at the top of some stairs, which put my face in a VERY precarious position.  On top of that, the skunk was holding onto the steps very strongly while I was pulling on his tail.  He could have VERY easily given me my first shot in the eyes, but it did not happen.  I can almost guarantee that if anyone else that doesn’t understand the personality of the skunk or proceeded without confidence, they would most surely have been skunk maced!!

It’s a lot easier to physically show how to handle skunks, but I’ll try my best to explain it this way.  

The consultation.

The normal skunk phone call is about the dog that has been sprayed, the skunk under the home and that awful smell they are experiencing.  Very few call about any damages to their yard. Most of the callers want the skunk gone.

1)  When a dog has been sprayed I tell them how to remove all the odor from the dog, then explain what they must do to encourage the skunks to leave the neighborhood on their own, and simple things they must change.  I explain that they are in the skunk’s territory and that if they or the neighbors don’t stop luring the wild animals to their area, there will always be skunks around.  I recommend that they NEVER leave food outside unsupervised and that they walk their dog on a leash, even in their own backyard from dusk to dawn.  I explain that it is a LOT less hassle to walk the dog in the middle of the night than to remove skunk spray from the dog and house!

2)  When a skunk is under their home, I give them the “schpeel” which I will cover later.

3)  When they complain about the smell, there are certain questions I ask and I explain what they are smelling and why.  Most of the time when they smell skunk going under their window, it is NOT a skunk.  The biggest shocker I teach is that SKUNKS DO NOT SMELL.  It is only what they spray that smells.  The animal is very clean and odorless.  It is a skunk “rule of etiquette” that they will never spray each other.

What they are smelling is a cat or dog that was sprayed (although they normally get along with cats) or an owl after attacking a skunk or a car that hit a skunk.  They go by the house and people assume a skunk is walking by.  Warner Brothers did a big disservice to the skunk with the Pepe le Pew character, showing the fumes wafting after him.

About 95% of the calls are almost identical, but I have a series of questions that I ask to enable me to help the caller:

1)  Do you or your neighbors have any cats or dogs?  If so, do you feed them outdoors?

2)  Where do you store your pet food?

3)  Do you ever see cats outdoors?

4)  What time of the day or night do you see the skunks?

5)  What kind of fencing and gating do you have?

6)  What kind of openings do you have under your home?

7)  Do you have fruit or avocado trees?  Garden?  Compost heap?

8)  Do you have a pond, pool or other water source?

I inform them that 95% of the time outdoor cats, and the food left outdoors for them, is the only thing that is luring the skunk to their vicinity, and once the lure is removed, the skunk will just leave on their own.

I emphasize over and over again that TRAPS DO NOT WORK, that it is a total waste of time and money, that more and more will come into the removed skunk’s territory.  I am totally convincing of this fact and never give them this option unless it is to remove the animal before permanently closing off under their home.  There are other methods that can be performed to make sure there are no skunks still residing under the house, instead of using a trap, which I recommend first.

I explain the benefits of having skunks in the vicinity of their homes, and tell them I understand why they wouldn’t want them living directly under their home.  Skunks eat snails and harmful garden grubs, as well as rodents and roaches, which tend to overpopulate as a result of having pet food outdoors and even bird feeders, but also black widow spiders, scorpions, rattlesnakes, and other dangerous creatures.  This usually gets their attention!  I’ve had people ask if they should build a dog house for them to keep them ON their property once their house has been closed off!!

I tell them how important it is to assume there is a skunk around every corner at night and in every bush to prevent startling one - to not throw open the gate, toss around the garbage can, etc. when there could be a skunk on the other side.  I tell them when walking their dog(s) to keep them from sticking their heads in a hedge because there could be a skunk or baby animal inside where they can’t see it.

When I do a physical consultation, I pass out my literature to all their neighbors, and in the area where a skunk might be released; I check all the fencing, gates, structures and make recommendations; I check their garbage, fallen fruit and avocados; look for pet food lures, etc.  I think like a skunk to determine their normal activities and route.  I can also guarantee that there will be no spraying incidents in their home or on their property, unlike many other services.

I don’t put a bandaid on the problem, but always have the best interest of the homeowner and the animals involved in mind.  Trappers and exterminators normally tell the callers what they want to hear and usually only care about how much money they will make, especially from the repeat business.  Animal control is normally honest with the caller - that they either will not deal with skunks or that, if they do, they will kill them.

I spend a lot of time with the callers, and refer them to my SKUNKS Scentral web site (www.StinkyBusiness.org).  They, in turn, share their knowledge with their friends and neighbors.  I remind them of the PayPal button on the web site in case they wish to donate and thank me for my help.

We are asking for more people to be listed on our SKUNKS Central “skunk counselor” list which will refer people all over the US and Canada.  I can’t possibly handle every situation outside of California, especially physical rescues.  By being listed in this directory, you can at least consult on skunk problems, offer humane solutions, take in the injureds and orphaned yourself or refer them to other rescuers.  (See our directory at http://www.stinkybusiness.org/counselorlist8-tst.html.  To become a counselor go to http://www.stinkybusiness.org/counselors.htm.)

Please spread the word, especially to your trapper, rehabber and animal control friends and lists.

If you feel this information is valuable to you, donations are appreciated, but not mandatory.  The PayPal button can be found on this web site index page www.StinkyBusiness.org.

Dear Friend,

We are in need of financial help.   An increasing number of injured and orphaned skunks come through our doors each week - perhaps it’s because more people know about us, or perhaps they are showing they care for animals as we do.   Our success rate of releasing animals back into the wild is more than 85%.  This may reflect our small size, but more likely it attests to our dedicated volunteers and veterinarians spending many a long night sitting up with a critical care  case - giving their best efforts to save one tiny life at a time.

We have come so far in such a short time.  S.K.U.N.K.S. started as a small backyard rescue facility, and as a waystation for injured animals to be transported to other wildlife rehabilitators, and wildlife rescue facilities in the state.  Now it is apparent that we need an emergency care center right here.

S.K.U.N.K.S. has another benefit:  as a teaching facility, we are training future animal care givers for the next generation.  Young people who understand how valuable each and every species is on this planet and that animals do think, feel, and have distinct personalities that ensure a better future for mankind.  Thus, our work is not only to patch up injured animals and to raise orphaned babies, but also to spread the word that “we love and respect animals and they are a very important part of our lives”.

If you feel that way too, you can express your feelings by joining us.  I would like to ask if you would be able to help us with a single donation of $10.00, or become a supporting member for $25.00.  You may have other talents, such as helping us to search for grants and scholarships through your friends and local community leaders.  We also need volunteers and student interns who are interesting in saving wildlife.  Your support, referrals, and suggestions are our greatest asset.

Thank you for your time and interest.

                                                              Share Bond, Founder