Recently in skunks Category

Got this reminder from the folks at Coast & Canyon Wildlife Rehabilitation about the hazards of tree-trimming season.

This is a nesting time for birds and other wildlife, so it's a good idea to check for any active nests before you being a landscaping project.

Here's more on that topic from an Orange County Register blog post.

Meanwhile, Coast & Canyon -- who already have UStream live cams up for squirrels and skunks -- have launched a new live cam focused on baby opossums. Opossums being nocturnal, most of the action on this one happens after dark.

Live streaming video by Ustream

Speaking of Coast & Canyon Wildlife (see our previous post), they've recently launched a new live cam with critters other than squirrels.

Watch live as volunteers feed and care for these baby skunks now in the "nursery." When they're ready, they'll be released back out into their natural habitats. Here's the direct link to the ustream site where you can also sign up and participate in a "chat" feature for viewers.

Live TV by Ustream

We wrote a while back about Coast & Canyon Wildlife Rehabilitation, a group that's based in Malibu but has several satellite volunteers here in the South Bay.

On Saturday they'll be sponsoring an online fundraising event called a "squirrel-a-thon." Live cams will give you a close-up view of a variety of wildlife being cared for and fed by volunteers. There also will be viewer question and answer sessions. Among the critters featured will be baby squirrels, chipmunks, skunks and opossums.

It runs from 12:02 to 4:02 p.m. and promises to be both fun and educational. Great for kids and families.

You can sign up for it here (scroll to the bottom of the page).

 

 

This comes from fellow pet blogger Laurel Babcock at Paws 'n' Claws  in N.Y.

I thought I'd seen almost everything ... but I've once again been proven wrong. ... Most of  us have seen photos of female animals who have taken on the care and feeding of babies who are not of their own kind. But this was surely a new one to me! ... Thanks to P&C friend and contributor Diane for the photo.

 

Yes, it is skunk season again.

One of our readers, 2Dogs4Now -- who has had some rather extensive, personal experience with the task of deskunking, both dogs and just recently her husband, we're told -- wanted to share with everyone the formula that has worked best in their household. (Click on the link for other great de-skunking tips -- and forget the tomato juice, by the way.)

This is the same one I found to be most helpful when there were skunks either passing through or hanging out in my backyard a few summers ago:

 

# 1 quart (or liter) of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide, H2O2.
Use fresh (unopened) hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Hydrogen peroxide eventually turns into water (H2O).

# 1/4 cup (50 ml.) of Baking Soda

# 1 teaspoon (5 ml.) of Liquid Soap

Simply apply and let stand on the dog for about 10 minutes if possible. Follow with a full shampoo and the smell should be eliminated completely. DO NOT USE ON FACE OR AROUND EYES, use a douche if you need to treat the face. I use a sponge or old cloth to make sure that I get every spot on belly and legs as well as dunking the feet in the solution and taking off the collar to immerse in the solution.

And yes, it works on husbands, too. 

Now this is what I call a bad experience:

MOUNT CARMEL, Pa (AP) -- A Pennsylvania woman who thought she was petting a neighbor's cat got a smelly surprise when it turned out to be a skunk. Not only did the skunk spray the woman before dawn Monday, but it ran into her Mount Carmel home. Police spent hours at the home before leaving the scene, but there was no word on whether they were able to remove the animal.

I had an Australian shepherd, Pilgrim, who frequently got skunks and cats mixed up, too.

HT: Animal Crazy