Skunk odours are overpowering the fresh spring air in some parts of Red Deer.
“This is the time of year when we get a lot of calls from people complaining of the smell of skunks. March is the breeding month and all the boys are out looking for girls. When they encounter another male, they will fight and will spray the other male,” said Carol Kelly, executive director of Medicine River Wildlife Centre, on Tuesday.
Last week, the centre had to remove one skunk from beneath a mobile trailer at Mustang Acres.
Mustang Acres resident Gary Eagles said a few weeks ago, his dog was sprayed early one morning.
“The skunk came out from a trailer across the street. What a smell to wake up to,” Eagles said.
“They are a huge problem here, mainly because of trailers. They have no basement or foundation, so they can get in underneath them. There’s a big ongoing issue here with skunks.”
He said it’s starting to settle down, but skunks are in the area year round.
Kelly said capturing and removing a skunk is a last resort. But the male skunk at Mustang Acres was determined to live under one of the trailers and was fighting with other nearby males.
“If you move the skunk and don’t change the reason why they came, the next skunk that comes would have a bigger litter. Like any wildlife, if there’s an abundance of food and shelter, they have more children.”
She said there are several areas in Red Deer where skunks hang out. Trailer parks, like Mustang Acres, are a favourite because residents frequently move and leave behind their cats. Neighbours will feel bad for the cats and put out food, which attract skunks.
“Skunks will eat everything out there.
“If there’s no food, and no shelter, there will be no skunks. So it’s not the skunks that are the problem, it’s the people that are the problem.”
She said skunks are beneficial to have around because they eat insects and mice. But they also feast on garbage left out in bags, and in mobile trailer parks, they can dig beneath trailers. But it’s easy to use wire to prevent animals from gaining access.
“There will always be skunks in the city, but there doesn’t need to be so many of them.”
Kelly said skunks are not aggressive, but if they think they are being threatened by someone screaming or throwing things at them, they will use their spray to defend themselves. People should also not panic if they see them during the day, said Kelly.
“It does not mean they have rabies or anything is wrong with them. They are mostly nocturnal, but not 100 per cent.”
For more information on skunks, visit www.medicineriverwildlifecentre.ca.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter