I once made a pact with a skunk. A wild male skunk showed up in my backyard and managed to find a loose plumbing access board which he could pull out just enough to get inside a wall and under a bathtub. He seemed to feel secure there and he took up residence.
I could sense there was a critter back there and I investigated. It wasn’t long before we were standing 10 paces apart, staring warily at one another. He was deciding whether to turn and spray his scent at me.
That was understandable and I stood my ground but engaged in some non-threatening body language. I diverted my eyes but kept him within my peripheral vision. I also turned partway to the side so he wouldn’t think I was considering an attack on him. It worked and he seemed to relax somewhat.
I slowly turned and walked through a back door into my garage and left the door partway open.
In the early evening after dark, the skunk walked into the garage and moved under something. He sat there watching me while I tinkered at my workbench. I began talking to him and gave him a name — Pepe.
After an hour or so, I walked slowly out of the garage and turned off the light. The next evening Pepe returned and watched me again, while I tinkered and talked to him.
For the first few visits, I moved carefully and never got too close to the wary critter. After that, I could behave regularly, and Pepe was fine. My daughter took breaks and sat in the garage, and the two of them quickly got used to one another.
There was a time when I had to rescue Pepe because the plumbing access board he was living behind swelled slightly from the rain. After the storm passed, the critter couldn’t budge the board enough to get out and I heard it scratching the wood.
I sat there talking gently to it for a while, then pulled the wood out just far enough. I walked away and pretty soon Pepe came out. I believe he understood that I had helped him.
This relationship went on for nearly a year before Pepe developed a case of wanderlust and wandered off. I’m guessing he went off to find a girl skunk.
During all that year, he never sprayed scent at us, and we were careful to never make him nervous. Pepe added considerable value to the pact because while he was around, there were absolutely no bugs, spiders, mice or rats. It was a great pact and I miss Pepe.
— Capt. David Bacon operates WaveWalker Charters and is president of SOFTIN Inc., a nonprofit organization providing seafaring opportunities for those in need. Visit softininc.blogspot.com to learn more about the organization and how you can help. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.
