What should I do if I find a nest of baby skunks?

Sometimes you find a nest of baby skunks and you may not see the mother nearby. You may be confused as to what to do with your finding. You may want to help the skunks and try to rescue them, or you may be tempted to ignore the situation altogether. If the babies are old enough, you may see them looking for food at night, but if they are very young, you are likely to only see them in the nest. No matter where you see the baby skunks, it is important that you approach them with caution and use protective measures when you choose to handle them.

When you see baby skunks without their parents

When you see baby skunks in a nest or wandering around without their mothers, then you should be concerned for them. These babies are weak and their eyes may still be closed. One way or another, you will need to take care of them.

Baby skunks are usually cute, so some people will want to take them for pets. However, these are wild animals and they should be treated as such. It is difficult to domesticate a skunk and there are many laws in various areas against keeping a skunk as a pet. Therefore, your best option is to contact a wildlife rehabilitator to handle the babies, especially if you see certain signs. During the day, the baby should be hiding and not wandering. If you see them wandering in daylight hours, it is likely that they don’t have a mother to protect them. If they appear to be sick in any way, you will want professional help to take care of them.

If they feel threatened, they will likely try to bite and spray that awful odor. It is important that you don’t startle or scare them. If you try to catch the baby skunks, you can use a cardboard box. Make sure that you have the cardboard box filled with a blanket and it should be secured enough so they won’t run away to escape. When you approach them, do it gently so they don’t feel threatened.

When you decide that you will tackle this matter on our own, be sure to equip yourself with gloves and protection so you will not be infected with any disease. Other advice often offered by experts is not to feed the baby skunks because you may be giving the wrong nutrition to them or giving them food they are not capable of swallowing.

Go back to the How to Get Rid of Skunks page or email us if you have any other questions about What should I do if I find a nest of baby skunks?