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What should I do if I find an orphaned baby skunk wandering about?



If you live in certain areas, it may be common to find an orphaned baby skunk outside your house. Sometimes they wander around without any direction because they are lost. These babies do need help. Some of these animals are sometimes injured, but although you may want to rescue them, sometimes they don’t need your help. So how can you decide whether you should take action or not?

Here are some of the tips to follow.

The signs that animals need your assistance:

- When your pet brings it to you out of nowhere
- When the skunk is bleeding
- When there is a broken limb
- When the skunk is furless and lies weak on the ground
- When it has a fever and is shivering
- When the parents are dead nearby
- When it cries and wanders about

When you notice a baby skunk wandering around, this could be because its mother has died. They are orphaned skunks and sometimes they could get injured due to their poor eyesight.

Whenever you find yourself in this situation and you think that there is no one else to take care of the baby, you should put on protective gloves and rescue it. Place it in a laundry basket with a blanket or clothes in the yard. This will help to keep them in one spot and it makes it easier for the moms to find them if they are still alive. As you move it, speak gently and act softly because when they are threatened, they could spray you with that nasty odor and you will experience a burning sensation if the spray reaches your eyes.

If the skunk’s mother returns to their baby, they will likely get in the basket or flip it over and take it out. Remember not to put too much weight on the basket as it will likely make it harder to flip. If the mother does not return to retrieve the baby, then it is time to get help from an animal rehabilitator to remove them safely.

Many agencies will help with the transport of this animal. If you have the assistance of a rehabilitator, that would be a great help for these animals. Make sure to contact a reliable wildlife rescuer that will take care of the baby skunks in no time.

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 an orphaned baby skunk wandering about?