Skunk shuts down business at local antiques shop

BY ALEX CANTATORE
Staff Reporter

Turlock’s own Pepé Le Pew terrorized downtown Thursday afternoon.

An adolescent skunk wandered into town and camped out in front of Main Street Antiques for several hours.

“It’s not good for business having a skunk outside,” said one Main Street Antiques employee as she stood outside the closed store.

The skunk, detected at first by scent rather than sight, was initially reported on Taylor Road before making his way to the intersection of Golden State and Main.

The owners of Main Street Antiques endured a two-hour ordeal to get the skunk away from their businesses’ front door, as no one in the area seemed prepared to deal with the smelly animal. After several local organizations declined to remove the skunk, going as far as to advise Main Street Antiques how to catch the skunk themselves, Turlock Animal Services arrived on site with two vehicles.

Animal Services did not have the authority to approach the animal, however, as skunks come under the jurisdiction of the California Department of Fish and Game. Instead, the Turlock officials secured the area until an approved trapper from USDA Wildlife Services could come on site to remove the skunk.

Onlookers carefully watched from a distance, as skunks can spray up 12 feet, as the trapper tranquilized the skunk before placing it in a cage and taking it to be tested for diseases. It is likely that the skunk was rabid, and will be put down.

To contact Alex Cantatore, e-mail acantatore@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2005.

Originally published in the Turlock Journal 8/8/2008.
Retrieved from the Turlock Journal Web site.