Recently, a homeowner in Sacramento, California, noticed something strange: a white stripe tangled in an old black soccer net on their property.
At first glance, it seemed innocent enough, but a closer look revealed something alarming. A little skunk was desperately struggling to free itself from the netting, becoming more and more entangled with each passing minute.
The homeowner quickly reached out to Sierra Wildlife Rescue (SWR) for help. As the temperature climbed and the skunk grew more frantic, SWR knew they had to act fast. As they shared on Facebook:
“The caller stated [a] skunk had been trying to free himself all morning and was just getting wound up tighter in the netting.”
Time was ticking, and the heat was making things worse for the poor animal:
“With the temperature rising, and the skunk growing more frantic and exhausted, SWR volunteers were able to cover him with a wet towel and start cutting the netting.”
When SWR volunteers arrived, they found the exhausted skunk tangled in the netting, clearly in distress. The team swiftly covered him with a wet towel to cool him down and calm his nerves, then carefully started cutting away the net.
Even in his vulnerable state, the skunk instinctively sprayed his rescuers with his signature scent – letting them know he wasn’t thrilled about the situation.
“Everyone involved got a dose of that skunk aroma!”
But the SWR crew didn’t let that stop them. They kept working, snipping away each layer of net until, finally, the skunk was free.
Once the rescue team released him, they watched closely to see if the little guy was hurt.
Thankfully, after a moment to gather his balance, the skunk got up and strolled away, seemingly unharmed. He soon found a nearby fence, burrowed underneath, and disappeared back into his natural habitat.
“Luckily, he was unharmed and had enough energy to scamper off.”
With the soccer net safely stored away, hopefully, this resilient little skunk won’t find himself in such a tight spot again.
Thanks to the kind-hearted man who found him and the swift response of SWR, he was saved and returned to his natural habitat.