Sure would be nice if animal lovers in the Wood River Valley would be careful of how they dispose of their trash. Small animals like skunks, raccoons and foxes will try to search for goodies in a trash can that's easily accessible. I would like to ask everyone to secure any trash that's not in a garage so the critters can't get inside and place themselves in danger.
The attached story had a happy ending but many do not. Let's give our critters with whom we share this beautiful valley a fair go!
Yesterday morning I drove my neighbor to the airport as she was going to a conference in Florida. On the way back I'm driving up the little hill where the bike path ends along East Fork Road and noticed a skunk crossing it. He looked a bit wobbly so I stopped to investigate. The poor thing was on the side of the road with a can stuck on his head (it looked like a soup can). It's hard to say how long it had been there but I was determined to pull it off.
So I ran the worst case scenario through my head—being sprayed by a skunk and smelling to high heaven forever! But if that can wasn't pulled off, he would just die of starvation or suffocate! So I quietly followed him as he (or she) stumbled around in the grass, got in front of him and pulled. Well, the stupid thing was stuck pretty hard and I had to make several attempts. Well, the adrenaline was pumping hard but I was determined. Had to make several tries at it but did succeed in the end. You've never seen a happier skunk scamper off down the hill. And I was a happy camper knowing that another of God's creatures was going to have a happy summer (and a long life, I hope!)
Jitka M. Sullivan
Triumph
