Why are Oklahomans seeing so many skunks?
NOBLE, Okla. (KFOR) — If you’re out driving at night, or sitting outside, you may have noticed the familiar stench of skunks.
There’s a reason you’re seeing so many right now.
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“Just like it’s the season of love for humans,” said Mack Thomas, the small mammals expert at WildCare Oklahoma in Noble. “It’s also their season of love.”
The smell of skunks is wafting through the Oklahoma air in February and March. These black and white mammals are channeling Pepe Le Pew, trying to find a mate.
The State Wildlife Department said it becomes a ’round-the-clock dance.
“Seeing a skunk in the daytime right now is not abnormal,” said Todd Craighead with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. “You’re not seeing more skunks, you’re seeing the skunks that you wouldn’t normally see because they’re nocturnal.”
Craighead adds the state has a healthy amount of skunks. In fact, we have two species roaming the Oklahoma landscape, like the common striped skunks and the rare spotted skunks.
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Skunks have adapted to urban areas. Their stinker is their life saver.
“Skunks don’t have a lot of natural predators because of their odorous scent,” said Thomas.
One of their biggest predators are humans in cars. WildCare said a million animals are killed by cars everyday.
As the amount of lanes and speed limits increase, so do the amount of dead skunks on the road.
“We just might be so desensitized that it just seems like ‘oh just another was hit’ and no one cares about that,” said Thomas.
If the injured animal survives, and they’re lucky, they may show up at WildCare.
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Right now, Thomas is only looking after one skunk at the facility.
Come April and May, when the babies are born, WildCare said they’ll have hundreds.
“I am always a little sad when we get perfectly healthy babies that have been kidnapped or mom was trapped and relocated because they really do take great care of their babies,” said Thomas.
You never know where skunks will end up. The one being rehabilitated at WildCare was injured while he was stuck in a dumpster.
The State Wildlife Department wants you to keep a close eye on your pets. You don’t want them getting sprayed.
“Keep your dog on a leash. Don’t keep your dog out at night,” said Craighead. “Don’t keep or store pet food outside and don’t feed your pets outside.”
WildCare said they use a mixture of Dawn dish soap, vinegar, and baking soda.
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