Forget love, it\u2019s stink in the air for some Californians this Valentine\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n
Residents near San Rafael in Northern California have complained of a pungent smell interrupting the season of love. <\/p>\n
The perpetrators? Female striped skunks<\/a> rebuffing the \u201cunwanted advancements\u201d of males during their mating season, which lasts from January through March. Skunk babies are typically born by May.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s happening is the males are pursuing the females, and if the female is not interested, she sprays them,\u201d Melanie Piazza, the director of animal care and hospital operations for\u00a0WildCare, told SFGATE. <\/a>\u201cIt\u2019s their defense for predators, but it\u2019s also their defense for, you know, unwanted Valentine\u2019s Day advancements.\u201d<\/p>\n A striped skunk trots in the grass. Shutterstock \/ Jemini Joseph<\/p>\n A striped skunk lifts its tail. Shutterstock \/ Karel Bock<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe California Post is here. Sign up for Morning Report.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet the perfect blend of news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n The cute, striped furry friends are native to California and are distinct from the rarer spotted skunk.<\/p>\n Skunks are considered opportunistic omnivores<\/a> and eat a varied diet based on what\u2019s available to them, which includes some pests like wasps, voles, slugs, and mice.<\/p>\n A man in a plaid shirt holding a skunk above his head against a blue sky. Stuart Walker \/ SWNS<\/p>\n Sophia the skunk, with a white stripe down her back and a white furry tail, plays with a pink beaded toy. Caters News Agency<\/p>\n Wildcare, a nonprofit wildlife hospital and education center in San Rafael, took the residents\u2019 complaints.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve advised them to stay patient while skunks figure out true love.<\/p>\n Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters <\/p>\n California Post News: Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, X<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, WhatsApp<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a> \u201cOne thing we tell people most frequently is that this constant spraying they\u2019re smelling is temporary,\u201d Piazza said. \u201cFor most people who call our hotline looking for advice just because they\u2019re smelling it a lot, basically we tell them, \u2018Patience is a virtue.\u2019 If you can just wait it out a little bit, it\u2019ll stop as soon as they find their mates. Then the females will go den to have their young.\u201d<\/p>\n A skunk with black fur and white markings on its head and tail, sniffing the green grass. Richard Xuereb<\/p>\n Piazza says to avoid setting rat traps outside that could hurt the skunks and to be careful closing up crawl spaces in case a skunk ends up trapped. She also advised to turn on lights and make loud noise to avoid getting your dogs sprayed by scared skunks.<\/p>\n Rabies is a rare issue with skunks, officials say, but they say residents should \u201cbutton up\u201d their properties.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just provide inspection and advice on what folks can do to make sure their properties are buttoned up in a way that skunks don\u2019t access them, because that\u2019s much more effective at reducing interaction between people and skunks,\u201d Contra Costa County Mosquito and Vector Control District spokesperson Nola Woods told SFGATE.<\/p>\n If not, a visit from California\u2019s striped skunks could stink up your Valentine\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t
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