Sophie Wilson says getting sprayed was worth it to help the animals
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Most people run away from skunks, but not Sophie Wilson.
The 16-year-old helped rescue two skunks in Ontario this summer after they got their heads stuck in plastic lids from fast-food waste.
“I just knew that I had to do something,” said Sophie, an aspiring veterinarian.
Plastic lids can be dangerous for animals, sometimes preventing them from seeing or eating, say animal rehabilitation experts.
Sophie Wilson, 16, hopes to be a veterinarian one day. (Image submitted by Sophie Wilson)
What happened
Sophie noticed the first skunk when she was hanging out with her friends one evening at Norton Park in Burlington.
At first, she only managed to pull off the paper cup, not the plastic lid.
So Sophie returned to the park the next night, armed with a fishing net, a towel and a pair of scissors.
(Submitted by Sophie Wilson)
Her dad, Scott Wilson, filmed as Sophie caught the skunk and cut off the plastic lid that was stuck around its neck.
Sophie knew her rescue mission was risky because skunks spray an oily liquid when they feel threatened — and it’s really stinky.
But this time, she didn’t get sprayed, and the risk didn’t stop her from getting involved again.
2nd skunk rescued
Days later, Sophie found another skunk trapped in a similar plastic lid.
A video taken by her friend shows Sophie in a parking lot in Burlington, as she successfully yanks the cup off of the skunk’s head and raises her arms in celebration.
(Submitted by Sophie Wilson)
But this time, she wasn’t so lucky. She got sprayed.
“I smelled really bad and I hated it, but as long as I got the stuff off I didn't mind it,” she said.
Littering and plastic waste
Chantal Theijin has rescued many animals while working at the Hobbitstee Wildlife Refuge in Jarvis, Ontario.
She said that animals often stick their heads into cups, following the smell of food.
When they try to pull their heads back out, the plastic lid often comes off with them and they have no way to get it off.
Skunks can have a hard time seeing or eating if they get stuck in garbage. (Image credit: Matt Hatfield/Oxford Police Department/Reuters)
That's why the refuge is encouraging companies to make all fast-food wrappers rapidly biodegradable.
That way, if an animal gets stuck, they can be freed easily when the food packaging breaks down.
Take caution when approaching wildlife
Experts say that skunks can carry rabies, a potentially deadly but treatable disease, so it’s important to be cautious about handling them.
Hope Swinimer, facility operator at Hope for Wildlife animal rehabilitation centre in Seaforth, Nova Scotia, holds a skunk named Maxwell. (Image Credit: Darren Calabrese/The Canadian Press)
The best approach if you see a skunk caught in plastic is to call a local wildlife refuge or the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
Trained staff can put skunks to sleep temporarily so they can remove the garbage safely and help the animal if it's hurt.
Have more questions? We'll look into it for you. Email us at cbckidsnews@cbc.ca.
With files from Dan Taekema/CBC
TOP IMAGE CREDIT: Submitted by Sophie Wilson
This teen rescues skunks trapped in fast-food cup lids - CBC.ca
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