skunk: now what?

[ceelove.livejournal.com]

ETA: how nice, AC called me back! They say that it's illegal to trap, move, etc a healthy wild animal and that I had to release it myself. It was nerve-wracking, but I tried to communicate that I meant no harm, and indeed the skunk did not act threatened by me.

I have accidentally trapped a skunk in a humane animal trap. When I called Animal Control about an opossum that broke into our house and slaughtered eight quails, I got no response from them, so I don't have high hopes about them bothering to return my call this time. Now what do I do? It doesn't seem an emergency, such that I would call the police department, but the skunk is kinda freaking out, and inexperienced me doesn't want to approach the trap and induce it to spray me and/or our yard.

Comments

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

if it's illegal to trap and move a healthy wild animal, how are you expected to get rid of them when they get into your yard and/or house? i'm glad you managed to release the skunk without getting sprayed, tho.

[firstfrost.livejournal.com]

I guess you're still allowed to engage them in single combat?

(All the mice in my house I just trapped, they were escaped domesticated mice. I'm sticking to that story.)

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

Honestly, from all the stuff I have managed to find from various animal control departments in MA online - kill or release where trapped.