4/7 1:39pm
To poster concerned about skunks:
Animal Control Department will respond to rabies symptomatic and critically injured wildlife. Please visit our page hosted by Norfolknet.com and there are many links that will help you understand more about wildlife and how to deter them as well. Any wildlife, whether nocturnal or not, may and can come out during the day if there is a need for that animal to be out there (i.e. food, water, heat, predator, whelping, breeding etc). I am thankful that you have posted and hopefully others may take a look at our page for links to wildlife profiles and behaviors for our area.
To answer your question in more detail, if the animal is neurologically impaired (i.e. stumbling, drunken looking, eating or attacking his own feet, falling over, walking circles, biting tires of vehicles, aggressive/passive behavior, general confusion, or chasing animals or people) you can contact the norfolk police department directly and ask them to get in touch with me immediately. These are signs of rabies. To learn more about rabies and the cycle of the disease (which is harder to contract than many think it is), please also check out our website.
Most of the wildlife that people do report is not because of being rabid, but more of being a nuisance. Its hard in today's age to co habitate with wildlife, but living in the country we do need to make a conscious effort to respect their environment else they will encroach upon ours to survive. To help deter wildlife you may check out the web page, or also call the Board of Health as well - I did a speach this past year for them on determent of wildlife from personal property and how to keep people safe.
If there are no issues of property management that are not a contributant to the skunk being out in public (not saying your property but in general), a dog or another animal for being the reason for the skunk spraying and out at an odd hour, please contact my # at 1-508-528-4101 and I will give you the name of a licensed wildlife trapper who can be hired to trap and remove nuisance wildlife. He is local and very good at his job, but as I have not talked to him on this, I wish not to publish his name and number on the www.
I know skunks are hard to live with, especially when they spray. I wish you luck, and that your neighborhood four legged resident moves along on his/her own accord. Again, do not hesitate to call in a case of emergency even on the weekends! We are willing to answer any and all questions that we can for concerned residents regarding wildlife and suggestions on how to protect their persons, property and investments.
- NACO
The original question, as appeared on Norfolknet:
4/6 8:10pm We seem to have a problem skunk in the Mirror Lake neighborhood. We've seen him out during the day, which is not normal for a skunk. At around 4 a.m. the whole neighborhood reeked of skunk spray . . . the smell was still pungent at 8 a.m! Does anyone know if the town animal control will respond, trap, etc. the skunk if we report it? - JT