July 26, 1999

If you've seen skunks or raccoons in your neighborhood, you're not alone! High populations of the critters are moving in - and State Wildlife says they're posing a health risk.

News Specialist Ed Yeates reports from a neighborhood where you might not expect to find this problem.

Perhaps on the eastside near the hills, but here on the westside in West Valley City?

Pick almost any neighborhood this year and you'll most likely find skunks or raccoons - or BOTH!

In fact, a neighbor one block south of here trapped two skunks today - and it's no longer a rarety.

Jeanine Andrews trapped two skunks in her yard and then called Wildlife Services. Mike Bodenchuk says his department is getting about 50 complaints a day - not in the hills but in people's backyards.

"Both raccoons and skunks are highly adaptable. They can live off small amounts of food each. They can get fruit from your trees or pet food that is left outside," Bodenchuk says.

In this case the skunks were going after Jeanine's chicken eggs. They even killed her hen.

She says, "They took these guy's mother. And she had 12 to start with and now I have five. and coming out of my door and meeting skunks is scary."

"There are just a lot of them in the hills and they are being forced into town. Nobody is trapping skunks or raccoons anymore and overall populations are high as well."

Wildlife verterinarians worry about diseases spreading from one animal population to another. That's why wildlife trappers will not return raccoons and skunks from neighborhoods back to the wilds. In fact it is currently against state law to return trapped urban raccoons. Both these animals as well as others are euthanized.

With skunks, odor is another problem - even when homeowners never see the animals.

"One thing that happens in residential areas like this -- a small skunk will follow close to the foundation and accidentally drop into a window well. There the frustrated animal will spray and the odor will permeate the house."

Bodenchuk says homeowners can help by removing leftover pet food and capping off chimneys where raccoons like to nest.

Incidentally, the State has a compound it's developed on its own which will completely eliminate the odor of a skunk - if it should filter into your house. Just a few drops in a spray will do the trick. If you need help call State USDA Wildlife Services.