Published: Thursday, July 1, 2010

Staff Reports, News Desk
Madison Weekly
Madison, Alabama's Hometown Newspaper 

Jonathan Brock first discovered the intruders early Sunday morning while he was mowing his lawn.

"I started from the front yard then to the back kind of framing the whole yard, and then when I got to this corner to frame it I got to a tree and there was a big white and black skunk right here!"

At first Brock saw only one skunk, and thought nothing of it, then the invasion began.

"They were just spread out all over. You could see them hiding. One here, one there, and another there.Probably ten to fifteen of them visible."

The next day, he called Madison City Animal Control, and his landlord, Shawn Holcomb. "The city came out and what I was told they just kind of looked around and could count skunks and estimated about 25-30."

Holcomb believes neighborhood development is to blame for the skunk onslaught, but, there that's not the only factor. Lieutenant Steve Wilkerson said debris left over from last year’s tornado is a perfect place for the skunks to make their new home.

"We are seeing a heavier than usual skunk population throughout our city. I would imagine due to the destruction here with the fallen trees and debris that hasn't been cleaned up and removed. That's probably an inviting location for them to hide and to come into.

Whatever the reason may be, the city just isn't equipped to handle wildlife infestation; that means they'll have to catch the skunks one at a time.