Uh Oh, a Skunk!

Uh Oh, a Skunk!

I was looking out my kitchen window as I tend to do whenever I’m preparing a meal and saw this white blob under the bird feeders. It looked like a plastic bag had blown against the pole. I debated going out and removing it or letting the wind take it on its way. Then the “bag” moved and I saw it was a skunk! A rather large one, at that. Panic set in.

We frequently smell skunks in the neighborhood so I know that are around but I had hope they weren’t too near. This dispelled that hope. Knocking on the window to scare it off didn’t work. Opening the window (ever so slightly) and yelling “Shoo!” didn’t work either. The skunk looked up for a second, then continued munching on the seeds tossed down by the less than careful birds.

I didn’t know what to do so, other than looking outside several times as dusk turned to evening, I did nothing. The skunk eventually left and did not return the next day or the next. I wondered where it lived in this well-developed suburban neighborhood. I didn’t want to come upon it accidentally should it have a nest in back of our yard.

The thing is, skunks are actually cute. They are also mild-mannered except when threatened. They benefit farmers by eating agricultural and garden pests. And they are mostly nocturnal so they tend not (too often) to interact with people and animals.

Much as I am nervous about its reappearance, the skunk reminded me of the diversity of nature. There are helpful creatures, dangerous creatures, worrisome and delightful creatures. Sort of like us. All of nature has different aspects about it that make life interesting. Some we like, some not. It’s a matter of the good, the bad, and (in this case) the smelly.

Skunk info:

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/skunk/

If you do get sprayed, try these de-skunking methods:

http://pestcontrol.about.com/od/diyanimalcontrol/a/Get-Rid-Of-Skunk-Odor-Myths-And-Facts.htm