Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Patient of the Week: Striped Skunk

This infant Striped Skunk was spotted all alone and wandering outside of his den. If mom dies or does not return to the den, babies who are typically too small to leave the den will venture out to find her.

Photos / Blue Ridge Wildlife Center

After monitoring the situation for a few days, it became apparent that mom was not returning and the baby came in for care.

Although thin and dehydrated upon admission, this kit was eager to eat on his own once rehydrated. We expect him to do well and be releasable later this year!

If you have unwanted skunks denning near your home, please do not intervene until AFTER baby season is over in the early fall to prevent creating orphans.

Generally, skunks are not aggressive animals and actually make good neighbors! They are most active at night and eat insects, rodents, and carrion (dead animals)—making the environment healthier for everyone.

If a skunk is behaving oddly or appears ill, or if you believe there are babies in need of help, do not try to handle them yourself. Skunks are considered a high-risk rabies vector species and handling or feeding them can result in life-threatening consequences for you and them. Call your local permitted rehabilitator as soon as you believe there is an issue.

Did you know?

Skunks do not have an infinite amount of liquid in their scent glands to spray, so they only use it when they think their lives are in danger.

Skunks will typically stomp their front paws to warn potential predators and they will even raise their tail as a threat at those who ignore this first warning. Finally, if the threat continues, they will spray. This spray causes eye irritation and has an extremely potent smell meant to distract and discourage predators from continuing their threatening advances.

Once they use their full amount, it can take days for skunks to “recharge,” leaving them potentially vulnerable to predators looking to test their luck.

Stay away and don’t get sprayed! Give skunks ample room to move away from you and try not to make quick movements. Sudden movements can make animals nervous and send them into defense mode. Keep pets on a leash when outside in an un-fenced area to help prevent them from being sprayed!

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