ADULT SKUNK(S)
Do not underestimate an injured adult.
1. OBSERVE
What is normal behavior?
Skunks out by day may merely be taking advantage of a free food source, such as outdoor pet food. If the skunk is grubbing and moving normally, just leave him/her alone. Remember that skunks have terrible eyesight and will NOT spray if a person stays out of their way, moves slowly, and speaks softly. Skunks also give a warning by stamping their front feet, giving the person time to back off.
3. CALL
Something is wrong.
Notify a wildlife rehabilitator if a skunk appears to be sick or injured. Unprovoked aggression, impaired movement, paralysis or lack of coordination, uncharacteristic tameness, disorientation, or self-mutilation (paw chewing) are signs that can indicate rabies or other neurologic diseases/problems. Do not handle the animal and keep all people and pets away. Monitor the skunk from a distance until the animal control officer arrives.
Yoplait yogurt cups pose a real hazard to skunks because the opening of the container is perfectly sized to their heads, and once a skunk pushes his/her head into the cup to lick the remaining yogurt, the inward-facing lip of the container prevents the cup from slipping off. If a skunk has a Yoplait yogurt cup stuck over his/her head, s/he will either suffocate or run out into traffic, or both.
There are two ways to assist the skunk in distress:
1. Slowly & Quietly
Approach the skunk and slowly pull the cup off. The skunk will usually pull in the other direction, which helps. After the cup slides off, be sure to stand perfectly still until the skunk runs off, which s/he will immediately do
2. Milk Crate & Wait
Place a milk crate over the skunk with a weight on top, to keep him/her in a confined space, until an animal control officer or wildlife rehabilitator are able to assist.
I don’t want to get sprayed.
Skunks do not spray things they can’t see (they only get one shot to get it right), so when their head is stuck in a Yoplait yogurt, they cannot see and therefore don’t tend to spray those who are trying to help them.