Skunks Cause A Stink In Evanston

By Anna Deem in News on Sep 26, 2009 7:15PM

After a recent City Hall meeting in Evanston focusing on the increase in skunk activity, Ald. Ann Rainey and others walked outside, only to have their noses attacked by the stench left behind by several skunks. "Evidently an entire family (of skunks) had gone crazy," Rainey said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune. "You could not breathe." Bob Bluett, a wildlife biologist for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, told the Tribune that it's currently the time of year when skunks start fattening up for the winter, so they appear to be more visible and active throughout communities. Out of all the skunks trapped in the state of Illinois, Chicago and its suburbs seem to have taken the brunt of the skunk action, as nearly 7,000 of the 8,640 skunks captured in 2008 were from the Chicago area, Bluett said.

With a list of nearly 30 names from annoyed Evanston residents, Rainey has asked city officials for help, which hasn't been going too well. "I was very disappointed in the city's response to my request," Rainey said to the Tribune. "I really want us to address this." Unfortunately for Rainey, skunks rank fourth on the list of troublesome animals reported in Illinois, following raccoons, squirrels, and opossums.

City officials don't fully believe that skunk activity is on the rise. Linda Teckler, the chief animal control warden, told the Tribune that considering the time of year and that some areas are more skunk-prone than others, they haven't seen an increase in complaints. "If residents have a problem, they can come borrow a trap," Teckler said to the Tribune, offering up a possible solution. A trap costs $85, $65 of which is returned when the trap is brought back, and an additional $35 is required to have a private company send someone to get rid of the trapped skunk.