One of the best things about being an Animal Ambassador is helping people understand what exotic animals are really like. A lot of animals are misunderstood because something about them keeps people too far away from them to really get to know them. Because of their unique and stinky defense mechanism, skunks are definitely one of those animals.
One of my friends that lives with us is Sylvester the Skunk. Sylvester is a really nice guy, and I like him a lot, but he always smells like he needs to take a bath. And he doesn’t even smell as bad as most skunks! In the wild, skunks spray a really stinky odor to defend themselves against predators – including people. Sylvester was born on a farm so he doesn’t have the smelly spray, but he still has a gamey odor that is a little unpleasant for most people and monkeys. It’s too bad that his smell is what keeps people from getting to know how intelligent, interesting and entertaining he is.
Even though he has lived with us all of his life, Sylvester likes to pretend that he is a wild animal. Sometimes he acts all tough and he stomps his feet and grunts at us. We all know not to be afraid because he is our friend, but when wild skunks do that we know it is time to run away or get sprayed! When dad or anyone else picks Sylvester up, he is very sweet and gentle. He even likes to be petted. His job is to show people that you don’t have to be afraid of wild animals, but to respect them and not get too close to them when they are in their outdoor homes. Sylvester loves meeting new people at animal shows and college lectures, and teaching them about what skunks are really like beyond the smell.
Have you ever seen a skunk in the wild? Have you smelled one?