The Skunk Family That Fell in a Window Well: A Smell-Good Story
It’s not yet 8 a.m. on a chilly spring morning, but Ohio Wildlife Center SCRAM! director Adam Turpen has already come to the rescue of a mother skunk and her six fluffy kits.
A call from a concerned homeowner alerted SCRAM! Wildlife Control that a skunk family that had fallen into a deep window well overnight, unable to climb out on their own.
“The mother skunk and babies were most likely perusing the perimeter of the home overnight, looking for food—beetles, crickets, grubs, grasshoppers, mice, rats and moles,” Turpen said. “Research shows that skunks are natural garden pest-control heroes. With rather poor eyesight, the mom could have missed seeing the window well, and tumbled in, the six babies right behind her.”
According to Turpen, the first step in humanely rescuing and reuniting a skunk family is to contain the mother skunk—usually by covering her with a large bucket or other container. The SCRAM! technicians used a modified “grabber” tool to gently lift each kit out of the window well and release them in the immediate vicinity. Once the young are free, the team uses a large net to lift the mother out and send her off to gather her family once again.
Turpen is often asked the obvious question related to a skunk rescue: how do you keep from getting sprayed?
“Skunks don’t really want to spray,” he explained. “Their powerful chemical defense is kind of a weapon of last resort,” he said. “We approach skunks quietly and purposefully, and get the job done as quickly as possible with minimal stress to the animal.”
Striped skunks are one of the most abundant and recognizable mammals in North America. Instead of blending in with the camouflage crowd, skunks show their flashy fur as a warning to would-be predators.
In Ohio, skunks mate in late February through March. After a gestation period of about two months, female skunks give birth to between two and ten kits. Skunks are solitary except for mothers caring for their young. The kits stay with her until fall, when they head out on their own.
Skunks don’t want any trouble, and the occasional skunk sighting in your neighborhood is not a cause for alarm. They use their powerful spray only when they or their babies are threatened and they cannot escape. Even then, they give warnings – stamping their front feet, raising their tails, and hissing. If you encounter this, move away slowly and quietly.
Turpen notes that people can coexist peacefully with skunks or deter them humanely. Dr. Ted Stankovich, director of the Mammal Lab at California State University, shares expert advice on living with skunks and the best method for getting rid of that distinctive odor if you or your pets end up encountering the business end of a skunk:
Exclude Skunks and Other Wildlife—Screen off openings in your foundation and under porches to stop wildlife from using these spaces as convenient dens. Keep sheds, garages and other out-buildings closed at night.
Do not Feed—Secure garbage cans and compost buckets and avoid leaving dog or cat food outside overnight.
Respect the Night —Keep pets indoors between dusk and dawn, when skunks are most active.
Goodbye Smell—If you or your pets are sprayed, don’t panic. The smell is strong but not invincible! Forget the tomato juice – it really doesn’t work. Instead, soak smelly skin or pet fur with a mix of four cups of hydrogen peroxide, a quarter-cup of baking soda, and a teaspoon of dish soap. Leave it on for five minutes, then rinse. Discard unused liquid.
The homeowners who called SCRAM! Wildlife Control for help in rescuing the skunk family that fell in their window well took action to prevent it from happening again. They went straight to the hardware store for a window well cover, eliminating this potential hazard to future wild animal families.
For a humane alternative to traditional animal control, contact our SCRAM! team at: 614-763-0609 or read more details about their services at https://www.ohiowildlifecenter.org/scram/