Two officers from Duluth Animal Control brought Wildwoods a juvenile skunk from near an apartment complex in central Duluth. The following is from Wildwoods Staff:

He’d been caught in an unmarked, illegal foot trap, and torn it loose from its mooring, dragging it after him until he became entangled in some weeds. His wounded foot did not yet have maggots, but it was painfully swollen, and most of the toes on that foot had fallen off or been wrenched away.

Despite his pain and fear, he made no attempt to bite or spray.

We are not allowed by MN law to rehab skunks, but we did assist the Duluth Animal Control officers, first releasing this little guy from the trap that was tormenting him. Then, after we assessed the poor ruined foot that would never be able to dig for grubs or insects again, we gently released him from from his suffering, setting him free from a world that fears and hates him.

There is no excuse for what this poor animal suffered. If this had happened to a dog, a cat, or a child, our city would be in an uproar over it. Yet we’ve seen this happen to at least 4 animals this year. Why does our species consider it ok to treat wild animals in this way?

What do you think?  –David