According to Animal Advocates' Skunk Manual, these kits were close to two weeks old, as they had a full coat of fur but their eyes were still sealed shut. They were living in a den apparently dug under the pavement of our driveway, about 20 feet from the doors. Our dog has been digging like crazy all around the driveway for weeks, and we've been back-filling all her trenches and cursing her, completely oblivious to what was actually under there... until tonight.
Alas, just like last year, Leeloo got to the first one before we could quarantine her in the garage (by the way, did you know baby skunks can spray even before they can see? ask me how I know), but we saved the other two from her foaming, sneezing attack. I blocked the dugout accesses with big rocks and left the two kits together just outside the blocked den with the hopes that the mother will come back at dusk and relocate them... hopefully somewhere farther away from our back door!
Never a dull moment around here I tell ya!
Post edit: the morning after this incident we rushed outside to check the blocked den and to our relief the mama skunk did in fact come in the night and rescue her kits. There was no sign anywhere around the driveway that she dug back under, so hopefully they've found a peaceful spot in the woods farther from our back door!
a story with a good end...
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