Alberta Campgrounds | Seeing a Skunk While Camping

Alberta Campgrounds | Seeing a Skunk While Camping

There are many beautiful Alberta campgrounds for people who love camping to choose from. And many different parts of the province that they can go to.

From the southern province, with the hoodoos, and rattlesnakes. To the mountains, as well as the various lakes, throughout the province. Regardless of where people go in Alberta to enjoy the scenery. There is a chance that they are going to run into a skunk.

Skunks are native to the province. And can be found everywhere, no matter what Alberta campgrounds people choose. Therefore, it can be very important for people to know what they should be doing when they encounter this animal.

Ultimately, skunks pose no threat, and are very timid because they do not have many defence mechanisms. Unless they have their babies with them, their main defence mechanism is running away. Unless they are threatened.

In fact, skunks can be especially beneficial to the ecosystem. Eating insects, and pests that can be very damaging to the ecosystem. And farmers love having them around. For the way they eat insects that may threaten their crops.

Therefore, if there are skunks in Alberta campgrounds. Campers are likely to encounter less insect pests, that can impact their ability to enjoy the wilderness.

Since skunks are nocturnal, their most likely only going to come out at dusk, when they wake up and start foraging for their food.

When campers encounter one of these animals. The best thing that they can do is simply stop moving. This will allow the skunk to be able to run away safely, which is especially important if they have their babies with them.

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If they do not initially run away, if campers have a flashlight with them. Flashing the light once can frighten the skunk into running away.

Campers can also very slowly start to back up, if the skunk does not initially run away. It is important that they do not turn around. So that they always know what the skunk is going to do. But by putting as much space in between the skunk in themselves is important.

Unlike their reputation, skunks will not spray unprovoked. And they will give lots of warning before they do so. Skunks ultimately do not want to spray. Because not only does it deplete their energy. It also leaves them defenceless while they regain their supply of their spray.

Since this can take up to ten days, every time a skunks praise, they are without their defences for ten days. Which they will only do as a last resort to save their life.

Before the skunk starts to spray, they will give lots of posturing, to warn their predator that they are going to spray. They will start hissing, stamping their feet and acting like they are going to charge.

If campers experience this, they should move backwards faster, because the next thing that the skunk does, will be to turn their back hands around, and lift their tail.

By understanding why a sprays. And what people can do to avoid getting sprayed. Can make encountering a skunk in Alberta campgrounds not a big deal.

Alberta Campgrounds | Seeing a Skunk While Camping

There is a good chance that campers will eventually run into a skunk if they do enough camping in Alberta campgrounds. Since skunks are native to the province. No matter where people are camping, chances are, skunks are close by.

Encountering a can be stressful. Especially because they have a reputation for their spray, which can be extremely smelly, and cause irritation as well as temporary blindness.

However, skunks will only spray if they feel that their life is threatened. So it is important to stop moving. However, if campers do not have their pets on a leash, they may not know this rule. And barking, and lunging at the animal will cause them to act defensively.

And while it is very important to keep all pets on leashes while any time in Alberta campgrounds. If an animal or person gets sprayed by a skunk, there are several things that people can do.

The skunk spray will smell like sulphuric acid, and can cause skin rotation, temporary blindness. As well as watery eyes, runny noses, nausea and vomiting. Further those who are unfortunate enough to get close enough to the smell.

This is why treatment should be conducted outside. If the animal or person goes inside, whether it is a house, a cabin or a trailer. They can affect all of the people nearby, causing them to feel sick or throw up.

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Many people have heard that tomato juice is an effective treatment for skunk spray. And this is likely because tomato juice contains acid, which can break down the oil in a skunk spray.

If people do not have tomato juice, they can use a solution of 3% hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Because that can neutralize the smell and break down the oil.

But if hydrogen peroxide and baking soda is not on hand, white vinegar and water can also help somewhat. When using these solutions, care needs to be taken not to get any in their eyes. Because it can cause damage.

In hydrogen peroxide can have a bleaching quality to it. So people need to rinse it off their skin, or off their pets for quickly.

They may need to do this treatment twice or even three times to neutralize the smell and oil. And to get rid of the smell in clothes, common laundry detergent and washing in a washing machine two or three times can do the trick.

If people have been sprayed in the eyes, it can cause temporary blindness. And rinsing with cool water can be very beneficial. This may be more difficult to do on a pet, but it can help bring back the eyesight quickly. And neutralize the oil.

By knowing what to do when encountering a skunk well in Alberta campgrounds. Can help campers not only know what to do to avoid getting sprayed. But if they do, know what to do to eliminate the smell. So that they do not have their trip ruined by one small incident.