Jackson Free Press

In California, a skunk wondered his way into a transport truck, and after a seven-day trip, he ended up in Canada. Now Canadian wildlife specialists are trying to find someone who isn't afraid of being sprayed to take him back to California. Good luck with that one.

The skunk likely dozed off in some piping being stored in a yard in California. The cargo was eventually loaded onto a truck to Mississauga, Ontario, just west of Toronto.

I'm amazed at the fact that the skunk did not spray during that whole trip. It appears that he still hasn't sprayed anyone since he's been discovered. Unfortunately, they can't just release the creature into the wild and call it a day.

"We can never give a no-spray guarantee, of course," said Nathalie Karvonen, executive director at the Toronto Wildlife Center, which has been caring for the skunk since January 5, referring to the black-and-white striped animal's foul-smelling defense mechanism.

"It would have be somebody who would be prepared for that possibility."

Releasing her into the wild in Canada is out of the question, Karvonen said.

"It's totally and utterly illegal from a provincial and federal standpoint to release a California skunk in Ontario."

Karvonen was unable to find an airline that would be willing to fly the skunk home. They fear that the landing or takeoff would startle the skunk and cause it to spray. I suppose the passengers wouldn't like that very much, huh? The only other option is ground transport. They do not want to euthanize the animal, so they are hoping some brave soul would be willing to drive the skunk home, which is about 2,200 miles away. Otherwise, anyone with any other bright ideas can contact the Toronto Wildlife Center.

You know, I love animals, but I just don't think I could take on a challenge like that. I hope the poor little thing gets home safely, but I will definitely be hoping from a safe distance.

Previous Comments

ID

109856

Comment

Well, it turns out that a couple of volunteers have offered to drive the skunk home. They don't know exactly when they will begin the trip because of some paperwork that must be completed, but they could hit the road in a week or so. By the way, the skunk is a female. Interesting. :-)

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2007-01-27T21:36:38-06:00