Appeal after SKUNK was found in garden near Peterborough

The animal – who had obviously had a smell of freedom – was first spotted last Sunday under some garden decking at a property in Station Road at Nassington, near Peterborough, by the homeowner who contacted the animal charity.

RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer (ARO) Hollie Morrall went to the address and set a fox trap for the mammal, who was caught the following day. Then an Animal Rescue Volunteer (ARV) from the charity transported the skunk to be cared for temporarily at a local rescue centre, the Exotic Pet Refuge.

“We’re pretty certain that this skunk is an escaped pet"

Hollie said: “We’re pretty certain that this skunk is an escaped pet, but if not the skunk may have escaped from another setting such as a rescue or a zoo. We are appealing to anyone who may know how this one came to arrive in this garden to get in touch.

“There was an appeal by the finder on social media but it may be that we are looking at a wider area as skunks can travel up to three miles a night. For example, we dealt with an escaped skunk last year who travelled from Market Harborough to Corby - a journey of over 11 miles.

“This skunk is in immaculate condition and appears to be in good health, although they are not microchipped and we have no way of knowing how they came to be at this location.”

North American origin

Skunks are wild animals originating from North America, who are sometimes kept and traded as pets in the UK, although the RSPCA warns against this as it isn’t possible to meet their welfare needs in a typical household environment.

It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to release skunks or allow them to escape into the wild because they are not a native species in the UK.

RSPCA senior scientific officer Evie Button said: “In recent years the RSPCA has dealt with a number of call-outs to stray ‘pet skunks’ that have escaped or been deliberately released to the wild.

“We believe that people may buy exotic animals, such as skunks, with little idea of how difficult they can be to keep and sadly we can get called in when the novelty wears off.

“Pet skunks are essentially wild animals being kept in captivity but their welfare needs are no different to the needs of skunks living in the wild. All prospective pet owners should research what is required to care for a pet, including food, equipment, environment and vet care, before taking one on.”

Anyone with any information about this skunk can contact the RSPCA appeals line number on 0300 123 8018.