SKUNK IN MY CAR! | The Perils of Wildlife Filmmaking
A couple of weeks ago, a colleague of mine reached out via text about filming a spotted skunk release. Of course I said yes right away. However, little did I realize right then, what this would mean for me in the coming days ahead! Hold your breath, because I certainly did!
Earlier this summer, a spotted skunk kit was found near the coast of Oregon, and it was on death’s door. Thanks to the wonderful folks a the Turtle Ridge Wildlife Center here in the Willamette Valley, they were able to rescue him and give him a fighting chance at surviving. Not only did this little guy survive, but he began thriving and soon, he was ready for release. This is where that text came in about releasing him!
Western spotted skunks are found throughout Oregon and the Western United States, however, they aren’t common in this part of the Willamette Valley here in Oregon. This guy was found closer towards the coast in a heavily forested area. So, to give this guy the best chance of thriving after release, it was important to release him near the area he was found.
So off I drove towards the coast with the skunk INSIDE my car! It was, how should I put it, quite a smelly ride! Luckily the skunk did not spray while I drove him to his release site, however, the contraption in which they put the skunk had taken several hits for the team prior to putting it inside my vehicle. The ride was quite pungent to say the least!
When the team a the wildlife center tried to capture the skunk and put him in a carrier, it simply did not want to cooperate, so instead, they just wrapped him up like a burrito in his favorite log. In order to release the skunk, I had to carry the log which had to weigh at least 70 lbs and place it in an area in the forest suitable for his release! It felt more like 200 though!!
Let me tell you, hugging 70 lbs of musky, skunky blankets, you really begin to reconsider your life choices up to this point. But to me this was totally worth it, giving this skunk a new and better life. The area I found was near a riparian zone, a perfect habitat for our little friend to have the highest chances of success. Prior to this moment, our little skunk had been given plenty of hands-off contact, and provided plenty of hunting opportunities to sharpen and hone in his skills at becoming a wild skunk. Right now, he was wrapped up in the smelly blankets, which was quite a puzzle to unwrap!
This part is really where I was the most nervous…. unwrapping the skunk and becoming completely exposed to his business end. If ever there was a chance to get sprayed, this was going to be it! Especially after lugging him the way I did across the uneven ground, likely agitating him a bit!
I decided I would take my time and work slowly to peel back the blankets, and then cut my way through the chicken wire which was keeping the skunk inside his log home. Every so often I would see him peak his little nose at me, and so I would put the blanket back over the log until I was able to work it free.
Next, I settled in and waited for our little friend to come out, as I wanted to capture him coming out and exploring his new home. This was all pretty new to our little friend, as spotted skunks are very shy to begin with, so this simply became a waiting game. After what felt like several hours, I finally noticed some movement in the leaves by his log. I got pretty excited, and to be honest, I think our friend did too!
Now you’ll notice that spotted skunks look a little bit different than their striped cousins you are probably more familiar with. They have this unique series of broken stripes and spots that extend along their body. They also have this adorable circular patch of white between their eyes. They are also about one third the size of a regular skunk, and look a little bit more weasley.
After spending several months at the wildlife center regaining his strength and recovering from his near death experience, not to mention the ride in my car, you can see the excitement and joy as he playfully explores and takes in all of the new sights, sounds, and smell of his new environment.
Now our little guy here is exploring his brand new home. He has a keen sense of smell, that can hone in on the unique scents of insects and small rodents. And let me tell you, there was no shortage of beetles and flies attracted to the uh… unique odor protruding from his little log, or den.
Not much is known about spotted skunks. Though they are considered common in areas in the west, they are not seen very often. They are primarily nocturnal, and are very shy and elusive animals. Spending a little time with one of these guys up close was really quite amazing – even if an occasional whiff of bonafide skunk musk wafted my way!
After it got too dark to film, I packed up my gear and left my new little friend alone to become a wild skunk again. It was so remarkable to see him explore his new environment and also to now know he is free and back where he belongs, in the wild!
