A stinky situation: Edmonton's skunk population spikes

It's a smelly job, but somebody has to do it.

Robert MacDonald catches skunks, and this year he's had to contend with more of the pungent creatures than ever before.

The local skunk population is experiencing a late season spike, causing a stink with homeowners and keeping pest control experts like MacDonald busy.

"The early spring, it tricked a lot of animals," said Macdonald, a wildlife control technician for Wildlife Control Serviceswhohelproot outtroublesome animals in the Edmonton area.

"Some had their kittens normally and other ones were held back,and then when the weather turned with those heavy rains back in June, then everybody had their litters.

"This is a first for me, I've been doing this for 16 years and this is the first time I'm dealing with kittens and juveniles. I've never got a double before."

Skunk serenade

Although a glimpseof one of the stink bombs can strike panic into anyone familiar with their wretched stench, MacDonald has no fear.

After placing traps in the skunk's stomping grounds,he dons a pair of gloves and uses a large canvas tarp as a shield.

After inching close to his catch, he wraps the caged creatures up, loads them into his truck and releases them back into the wild.

"Pretty much,it's about letting a skunk know you're there," said MacDonald. "Because his hearing is fine, his eyesight is not so good, but his nose is fantastic."

MacDonald credits his highly tuned skunk whispering skills for keeping him smelling rosymost of the time.

"I say 'hey stinky, hi stinky,hey stinky,I'm coming.'

"And it'sjust a low monotone to let him know that I'm coming.I mean, I think it's cute and fuzzy but what else are you going to call him?"

Something pungent in the air

MacDonald saidEdmontonians dealing with a skunk infestation should call in a professional.

The creatures, especially the juveniles, are easily spookedand trying to remove one from its nest cansoon turn into a very stinky situation.

I say 'hey stinky, hi stinky,hey stinky,I'm coming' ...I mean, I think it's cute and fuzzy butwhat else are you going to call him?

And even the most experienced skunk-seeker can't avoid the inevitable.

"Usually when I come up to a trap if it's a kitten, they are more curious than anything, so they just roll around in the cages while I throw a tarp over them and go," MacDonald said.

"But the juveniles are very excited, they get kind of jumpy and nervous at that point, so what they'll end up doing is stomping their feet and then they'll spray. They don't have to lift their tail, they can cock it to the side to spray you.

"And oh boy, do they spray."