Skink needs ride home - Only the brave need apply

[Guest guest]

By Wojtek Dabrowski

Fri Jan 12, 1:32 PM ET

 

 

 

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian wildlife officials are looking for a

brave driver prepared for a 3,500-kilometre (2,200 mile) trip to take

a stinky stowaway skunk back to her home in California.

 

But the skunk, who survived a seven-day journey across the United

States and into Canada without food and water, after being

accidentally locked away in a transport lorry, is having a hard time

finding someone to give her a ride home.

 

" We can never give a no-spray guarantee, of course, " said Nathalie

Karvonen, executive director at the Toronto Wildlife Centre, which

has been caring for the skunk since January 5, referring to the black-

and-white striped animal's foul-smelling defence mechanism.

 

" It would have be somebody who would be prepared for that

possibility. "

 

Releasing her into the wild in Canada is out of the question,

Karvonen said.

 

" It's totally and utterly illegal from a provincial and federal

standpoint to release a California skunk in Ontario. "

 

As well, " skunks are very territorial animals ... " They won't just

readily accept a stranger in their territory, so there will be a big

skunk fight. "

 

The skunk likely dozed off in some piping being stored in a yard in

California. The cargo was eventually loaded onto a lorry to

Mississauga, Ontario, just west of Toronto.

 

" She was certainly a bit dehydrated and thin when we got her, "

Karvonen said. " Luckily, at this time of the year, even in

California, a skunk would likely have more fat reserves ... so that

was probably fortunate for her. "

 

While airlines usually agree to return such " accidental travellers "

for free, Karvonen said the response has not been positive in this

particular case.

 

Frankly, she's not surprised.

 

" I wouldn't want to fly on a plane with a skunk either, " she

said. " She's not necessarily going to spray, but I'm sure a skunk has

never experienced takeoff and landing and those are pretty startling

things, and that's usually when they spray. "

 

Skunks can blast their sulphurous spray as far as 3 metres (10 feet)

from two anal scent glands, leaving victims with stinging eyes and

gasping for air.

 

Ground transport is the most likely way to get the skunk home, so the

Wildlife Centre is looking either for a private driver travelling to

California or a willing trucking company with the Pacific Coast state

on its route.

 

" At least if you're in a car, you can stop and roll down the

windows, " Karvonen said. " If you're on a plane for five hours, you

don't have a lot of options there. "

 

She added that, despite the problem of finding transport, putting the

animal down was out of the question.

 

" It is a perfectly healthy animal who's just gotten away from its

home territory. Certainly, to euthanise it just because she doesn't

have a ride home is not a nice option for us. "

 

Those with an idea on how to get the animal home can contact the

Toronto Wildlife Centre at 1-416-631-0662.

[Guest guest]

come home Flower!

 

 

>heartwerk <jo.heartwork

>Jan 15, 2007 2:57 AM

>

> Skink needs ride home - Only the brave need apply

>

>By Wojtek Dabrowski

>Fri Jan 12, 1:32 PM ET

>

>

>

>TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian wildlife officials are looking for a

>brave driver prepared for a 3,500-kilometre (2,200 mile) trip to take

>a stinky stowaway skunk back to her home in California.

>

>But the skunk, who survived a seven-day journey across the United

>States and into Canada without food and water, after being

>accidentally locked away in a transport lorry, is having a hard time

>finding someone to give her a ride home.

>

> " We can never give a no-spray guarantee, of course, " said Nathalie

>Karvonen, executive director at the Toronto Wildlife Centre, which

>has been caring for the skunk since January 5, referring to the black-

>and-white striped animal's foul-smelling defence mechanism.

>

> " It would have be somebody who would be prepared for that

>possibility. "

>

>Releasing her into the wild in Canada is out of the question,

>Karvonen said.

>

> " It's totally and utterly illegal from a provincial and federal

>standpoint to release a California skunk in Ontario. "

>

>As well, " skunks are very territorial animals ... " They won't just

>readily accept a stranger in their territory, so there will be a big

>skunk fight. "

>

>The skunk likely dozed off in some piping being stored in a yard in

>California. The cargo was eventually loaded onto a lorry to

>Mississauga, Ontario, just west of Toronto.

>

> " She was certainly a bit dehydrated and thin when we got her, "

>Karvonen said. " Luckily, at this time of the year, even in

>California, a skunk would likely have more fat reserves ... so that

>was probably fortunate for her. "

>

>While airlines usually agree to return such " accidental travellers "

>for free, Karvonen said the response has not been positive in this

>particular case.

>

>Frankly, she's not surprised.

>

> " I wouldn't want to fly on a plane with a skunk either, " she

>said. " She's not necessarily going to spray, but I'm sure a skunk has

>never experienced takeoff and landing and those are pretty startling

>things, and that's usually when they spray. "

>

>Skunks can blast their sulphurous spray as far as 3 metres (10 feet)

>from two anal scent glands, leaving victims with stinging eyes and

>gasping for air.

>

>Ground transport is the most likely way to get the skunk home, so the

>Wildlife Centre is looking either for a private driver travelling to

>California or a willing trucking company with the Pacific Coast state

>on its route.

>

> " At least if you're in a car, you can stop and roll down the

>windows, " Karvonen said. " If you're on a plane for five hours, you

>don't have a lot of options there. "

>

>She added that, despite the problem of finding transport, putting the

>animal down was out of the question.

>

> " It is a perfectly healthy animal who's just gotten away from its

>home territory. Certainly, to euthanise it just because she doesn't

>have a ride home is not a nice option for us. "

>

>Those with an idea on how to get the animal home can contact the

>Toronto Wildlife Centre at 1-416-631-0662.

>

>

>

>

>To send an email to -

>