Province won't remove backyard skunk, Cochrane couple learns

Squatter skunk wouldn't go, province wouldn't help A Cochrane couple can't get a skunk squatting on their property to take the hint. Stephanie Thomas reports.

Calgary — A Cochrane resident said she faced a conundrum when she and her husband discovered a skunk denning in the space underneath her backyard shed, when Alberta Fish and Wildlife said she had two choices how to deal with her smelly squatter, and neither involved them.

The choices were that she would either have to live with her aromatic new inhabitant or else hire a pest removal company as Alberta Fish and Wildlife officials do not remove nuisance animals.

Instead, Joan Bjornson devised a third way: she borrowed a trap from a neighbour and her husband used a fishing camera to scope under the shed in case there were skunk kits, but didn’t find any.

She decided against calling a pest removal company because she was concerned the skunk might not survive the process - and found the whole ordeal stressful.

“I just wanted to bawl my eyes out. I don’t want to be in that position. I don’t want to have to decide one way or another who gets to live and who gets to die. Should not all life matter?” she asked.

However, with upcoming backyard renovations to do, she also didn’t want to risk anyone getting sprayed or bitten.

Bjornson says she wishes provincial authorities could do more to intervene.

“(They should) safely remove the animals, put them back out into the wild and make sure that that life still exists the next day forward.”

Bjornson and her husband released the skunk near Waiparous on Thursday afternoon.

The couple had also reached out to the Cochrane Ecological Institute, but were told it wouldn’t take the skunk because its mandate is to care for orphaned or injured animals.

Officials at the longtime wildlife reserve say fish and wildlife officers used to help with small animal removals, but that’s no longer part of their role as an enforcement body.

“The people who are meant to look after the environment on our behalf have been cut back so severely so they can’t do the job they were originally hired for,” said Clio Smeeton, president of the institute.

She also said it was a matter of policy that Alberta’s Environment and Parks Minister could change.

“I don’t think its the responsibility of the public to possibly put themselves at risk (to remove an animal)," Smeeton said.

Wildlife mandate

Responding to an e-mail request from CTV News, a spokesperson for Alberta Justice and Solicitor General said fish and wildlife officers are “mandated to primarily respond to incidents involving bears, cougars and moose and dangerous wildlife” as public safety is the top priority.

It continued, “Alberta Environment and Parks is the department responsible for wildlife management policies.”

“If a resident has skunk concerns on their property, we recommend they contact local pest control companies. They may be able to provide advice or service. Skunks may also be hunted or trapped during all seasons by the owner or occupant of land, by a person authorized by the owner or occupant, or by the holder of a licence authorizing the trapping of fur-bearing animals."

To prevent skunks from visiting your property, you must remove the food or shelter the animals are seeking.

●     Clear out brush piles, stacked lumber and debris piles that skunks can use as cover.

●     Look around your property for spaces underneath sheds, porches, decks and crawlspaces. These spaces should be closed off with a ½ inch hardware cloth. Make sure there are no skunks inside when you close off the space.

●     Skunks that have already taken up residence under a building or other location on your property can be deterred by putting mothballs in these spaces. Skunks are repulsed by the smell of mothballs.

●     Store your garbage and recycling in containers that have tight-fitting lids. Replace garbage cans that are in poor repair.

●     Feed your pets indoors, or remove their dishes immediately after feeding and store the pet food inside.

●     Honey producers can stop skunks from raiding beehives by installing and maintaining an electric fence perimeter around the apiary. Also place beehives on stands one metre (three feet) off the ground.

More information about skunks can be found here:https://www.alberta.ca/skunks.aspx