Ed Groves, who lives near Soda Bay, thought he had solved his skunk problem two weeks ago after a skunk got in his garbage can and refused to leave. The skunk finally left after three hours but it showed up again last week and once again found a way into Groves” garbage can. Groves said the skunk appeared to be sick.
As he did the first time the skunk showed up, Groves made a number of telephone calls to various governmental agencies in an attempt to obtain some help in getting rid of the skunk. The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) didn”t have anyone available to get the skunk and the county”s Animal Control office said that department didn”t take skunks.
Groves finally convinced Animal Control to take possession of the skunk because he thought it might have rabies. Animal Control agreed but only if he brought it to their office.
Groves slammed the cover on the garbage can and transported the skunk to Animal Control, garbage and all. The officials at Animal Control said they would keep the skunk alive in the garbage can until they could turn it over to the DFG. Animal Control later contacted a game warden who took possession of the skunk.
According to Groves, skunks are nothing new in his neighborhood. One of his neighbors, a widow, had 17 skunks living under her house. Groves said the stench got so bad she had to move.
According to DFG game warden Lt. Lynette Shimek, skunks are common throughout Lake County. She said that in the 20 years she has served as a warden in the county, she has responded to hundreds of calls on skunks. She said there are mainly three species that visit urban areas looking for food ? skunks, raccoons and possums.
“Most of the skunks, and other critters, are attracted to homes because the residents feed cats and dogs, which means food for the wild animals,” Shimek said. “I advise them to only feed their pets during the daylight hours and remove the food at night. Another problem is that people leave their garbage cans uncovered, which also draws the animals. Skunks, raccoons and possums are nocturnal animals and they will visit homes after dark looking for food.”
The problem in Lake County is who do you call if you have a problem with wild animals? Animal Control only handles domestic animals and doesn”t deal with any wild animals. The DFG will respond, but most of the time no one from the department is available. Presently there are only two wardens assigned to the county and much of their time is spent patrolling the national forest.
The federal trapper will also respond but there are only two trappers for Lake and Napa counties and their time is also very limited. What that means is that if you have a skunk or other wild critter in your yard, you have to deal with it.
Another problem is when a wild animal, such as a deer, dies on your property. On Tuesday I received a call from an individual who said a fawn died near his house and wanted to know who to call. According to authorities, if an animal is on your property and dies it”s the landowner”s responsibility.
There is a number for the federal trapper (263-0217) but that number is answered in the county”s agriculture office where the person takes down the information and passes it on the federal trapper. If the problem is a skunk, the trapper will bring out a trap and instruct the person on how to set it. This may take several days or longer. Once the animal gets into the trap, the trapper will return and retrieve the animal. In almost all cases the trapper then destroys the animal because to release it would create problems in another area.
The problem is that all this takes time and most people want the animal removed quickly. Many other counties in California have what is called a “nuisance animal” division of Animal Control, one that handles skunks and like animals, but there is no such thing in Lake County. Here you are pretty much on your own on how do deal with these wild animals.
Skunks, raccoons and possums do carry diseases. The big fear is rabies, which while extremely rare can be fatal. Approximately 30 people a year in the United States get rabies and two or three will die of the disease. Another common disease carried by these animals is distemper. Whereas distemper won”t harm humans, it can be a fatal disease for household pets.
The big question is if a skunk or other wild critter pays you an unwanted visit, what do you do? According to experts, if you keep all the food away from these animals they will more than likely leave and you won”t have to worry about them. But that”s not always the case. Sometimes animals just show up. It doesn”t do any good to call the county because they don”t have the money or the responsibility to deal with wild animals. The DFG has the responsibility, but not the money or manpower. The bottom line is that homeowners are pretty much left to fend for themselves.
