ESPAÑOLA, N.M. (KRQE) – After a slow start to baby skunk season, the New Mexico Wildlife Center said the striped critters are now arriving in droves. The NMWC said they’re caring for more than 20 baby skunks. Rescuers said many of the animals come in after being unintentionally orphaned, which happens when mother skunks are caught in live traps and relocated, leaving behind helpless babies with no way to survive on their own.
To prevent that, experts are encouraging what they call humane harassment to discourage skunks from nesting in yards without separating families. That includes using motion-activated lights, playing podcasts, or spraying vinegar to make the area smell unsafe for wildlife.
The wildlife center said even though they’re cute, if you spot a litter of orphaned skunks, do not pick them up with your bare hands, and instead call NMWC.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)