PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Residents in Southeast Portland’s Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood say skunks are increasingly taking over their yards, spraying pets and keeping some people from using their outdoor spaces.
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One resident said he has captured dozens of skunks on video in recent nights.
“Basically, I don’t have a backyard anymore,” that neighbor, who didn’t want to be named, told KATU.
He said the skunks regularly wander through his yard overnight and have even sprayed one of his dogs.
“They wander around from about 7:30 at night to 7:30 in the morning,” he said.
Residents in Portland’s Westmoreland neighborhood say skunks are increasingly taking over their yards, spraying pets and keeping some people from using their outdoor spaces. One resident said he has captured dozens of skunks on video in recent nights.
Multiple neighbors told KATU on Sunday that they have noticed more skunks in the neighborhood and in their backyards.
Mike Ray, who has lived in Sellwood for 40 years, said he has never seen so many skunks in the area.
“We’ve had these skunks that we’ve seen in our backyard, and they’ve sometimes been against the garage and against the basement window,” Ray said. “But this particular night, I had just come out, I was sitting here, and suddenly, they appeared out of the bushes. At first, it was like two or three. They had disappeared, and then suddenly it was four and appeared to be the mom.”
When asked whether he agreed neighbors were dealing with a skunk infestation, Ray said, “I agree, and I thought it was; I didn’t think it was true.”
Neighbors said they do not know what to do or where to turn for help, but did say they don’t want to harm the animals and want to find a way to safely deter skunks from their yards.
KATU did reach out to several companies that specialize in skunk removal but did not immediately hear back.