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State Statistics Indicate A Rise In The Skunk Population
PEORIA, IL - There are certain foul stenches easily more identifiable than others - oil refineries, corn processing plants, semi exhaust and skunks.
The latter is a stink that Peorians, like the everyone else in Illinois, are having to pinch their noses to avoid more often now than in previous years.
The skunk population is on the rise.
"Skunks have been moving around," Jeff Stepping, manager of Critter Control in Peoria, said. "This year has been a little above average."
State statistics prove this. According to an annual skunk road kill index - an actual measure of the deceased skunk population by biologists throughout the state - the population was up 46 percent from February 2009 to January 2010. That represents the highest leap in skunk road kill in Illinois since February 1982 to January 1983, according to Bob Bluett, a wildlife biologist with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
The statistics are further supported by some real world problems.
In Joliet, residents showed up to a recent City Council meeting saying the number of skunks had reached "epidemic proportions," according to newspaper accounts. Council members agreed, with one councilman saying his dog had been sprayed.
Locally, wildlife trappers have been active with clearing roads of all sorts of road kill this year, primarily due to critters running around looking for food sources after a wetter-than-normal spring.
"I have had an increase in skunks," said Gary Isbell, with Nuisance Wildlife Removal of Trivoli. "It's nothing epic."
No skunk complaints have been publicly aired during a Peoria City Council meeting, but Lauren Malmberg with the Peoria County Animal Control Protection Services said the local populations are on the rise.
"We are seeing a lot more skunks in the past three years than we have in the 27 years I've been here before that," Malmberg, director of PCAPS, said.
Part of the reason for the statewide skunk rise is because the last rabies outbreak controlling their population hit more than 20 years ago, Bluett said.
"They stayed at a low (population) level since that last rabies epidemic," he said. "Typically, you'll see populations recover in 10 years or so. It's been closer to 20 years."
Bluett said the Illinois Department of Public Health is moniorting skunks for rabies. He said a skunk rabie outbreak is typically not a concern for humans, but could be an issue for dogs, cats and livestock, which encounter skunks more often.
"With the increase in population, there is a bigger chance your would see an increase in rabies," he said.
Skunk Facts
- Cat-sized. Skunks can grow to the size of a domestic cat but with shorter legs. Length ranges from 20 to 30 inches, with males weighing from 3 to 11.7 pounds. Females are smaller, weighing between 2.6 to 8.6 pounds.
- Stinky disposition. Skunks discharge an obnoxious scent when provoked. This scent, or musk, is secreted by two internal glands located at the base of the tail. A skunk has voluntary control over the glands and can control the direction in which the musk is discharged. This musk has been detected at distances of up to 20 miles away.
- Hang-outs. Skunks are typically found in rural areas with rolling hills or bluffs and a mixture of farmland, timber and pasture. They also are abundant in some urban areas, especially those located along railroads or high-tension power lines because these features provide travel ways and den sites.
- Nocturnal. Active at night and occasionally during the daylight hours of early morning or late evening, they live in an area 1 to 11/2 miles in diameter, but use only a small part of this on any given night. They are slow-moving and docile. Their senses of sight, hearing and smell are poor compared to many predators. When cornered or pursued closely, they usually face the intruder, arch their backs, raise their tails, and stamp the ground with their front feet. If a skunk's warning is ignored, it turns around with its tail raised and facing the threat so that it's in a good position for discharging its musk.
Source: Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Skunk Tips
Discouraging skunks
- Secure garbage cans and close trash bin lids at night
- Control rodent populations
- Do not leave pet food outdoors at night
- Remove brush or wood piles
- Control lawn grubs
- Seal off all openings along foundations to keep skunks from burrowing under buildings
- Use a window well cover to keep skunks from falling into the window well
Skunk removal
If you wish to have someone trap and remove a skunk, you can hire a nuisance wildlife control operator. If you wish to handle the situation yourself, contact an Illinois Department of Natural Resources District Wildlife Biologist. They can provide you with an animal removal permit and instructions on how to trap and remove the skunk.
Credits: By John Sharp - pjstar.com
