Spring Break
The Daily OrangeCollege lifestyle attracts pungent visitors to campus
By Taylor Engler
Posted: 5/1/06, 10:08 PM EST Section: Pulp
The problem has gotten out of control to the point that Burns has already removed 130 skunks from the area around SU since January. Burns sees some intense cases of skunk infestation, many brought on by SU students own careless actions.
"Once I had some college kids who were cooking bacon and throwing the grease out the window," Burns said. "I took 23 skunks from under their house; they had been living off the grease. It cost them a fortune"
Besides messing with students' garbage, the only real threat skunks pose is the smell they give off. This musk is not only hard to remove from hair and clothing, but can cause serious pain and temporary blindness if taken in the eye, according to the NYSDEC.
"We have a dog, and it was about 1 a.m. and we were studying for exams, so we let her out. She got skunked," said Gary Elieff, a junior mechanical engineering major. "We went through the whole tomato juice thing. Now we keep Skunk-off in the house."
Businesses such as Burns' will remove skunks for a fee, but since the relocation process of these animals in somewhat cumbersome, they are often killed instead of re-released.
"I would have to take (the skunks) at least five miles away from where I found them and get permission from the owner of the land to leave them there," Burns said. "That never happens, so I euthanize all the skunks I remove."
Students can habituate peacefully with their stinky neighbors, but should be aware that every time they throw out a plastic bag of garbage or uncovered food products, they are attracting more and more to the area.
"Keep your garbage in a metal container with a metal lid and just clean up after yourselves," Burns said. "Just avoid a skunk if you see it. It's not uncommon for skunks to be out in the daytime, but they don't want to be around you anymore than you around them."
"Once I had some college kids who were cooking bacon and throwing the grease out the window," Burns said. "I took 23 skunks from under their house; they had been living off the grease. It cost them a fortune"
Besides messing with students' garbage, the only real threat skunks pose is the smell they give off. This musk is not only hard to remove from hair and clothing, but can cause serious pain and temporary blindness if taken in the eye, according to the NYSDEC.
"We have a dog, and it was about 1 a.m. and we were studying for exams, so we let her out. She got skunked," said Gary Elieff, a junior mechanical engineering major. "We went through the whole tomato juice thing. Now we keep Skunk-off in the house."
Businesses such as Burns' will remove skunks for a fee, but since the relocation process of these animals in somewhat cumbersome, they are often killed instead of re-released.
"I would have to take (the skunks) at least five miles away from where I found them and get permission from the owner of the land to leave them there," Burns said. "That never happens, so I euthanize all the skunks I remove."
Students can habituate peacefully with their stinky neighbors, but should be aware that every time they throw out a plastic bag of garbage or uncovered food products, they are attracting more and more to the area.
"Keep your garbage in a metal container with a metal lid and just clean up after yourselves," Burns said. "Just avoid a skunk if you see it. It's not uncommon for skunks to be out in the daytime, but they don't want to be around you anymore than you around them."
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