The camp where I am director in the summers is on 320 acres of primarily wooded land in northern Maine.  Over the years we have seen moose on the tetherball court, deer in the fields and a bear in the dumpster, and plenty of skunks in a variety of locations.  But this summer, we have gotten to have an encounter with skunks that will never be forgotten.

Two weeks ago I noticed five or six tiny, baby skunks coming out from under our public restrooms in the center of the camp.  They were tiny; They could probably have fit in the palm of my hand, but I knew better than to try!  They played together, and at first stayed close to the safety of the washrooms.  But as they've grown (they have perhaps doubled in size) they are venturing all over the camp!  The mother apparently lives in the woods nearby and checks on them every so often.

Obviously, this presents a problem, no matter how cute they are.  And they are cute!  Sleek black and pure white coats, faces like little bears, fluffy tails!  I came across one in a patch of wild flowers and it instantly brought to mind the scene in Bambi when the young fawn meets Flower for the first time. 

But I am well aware of the hazards of letting them stay in such a central area of the camp as they grow.  We were told to use crystalized fox urine to drive them away.  We bought $40 worth, and it didn't phase them at all.  We were told to put moth balls around the restrooms, and they don't seem to care.  I think I saw a couple of them juggling the moth balls the other day!  We set a trap, but they are too small to trigger it.  They simply go inside and eat the bait and leave.  We call the game wardenn and he said there's nothing he could do.

So, we watch them grow and play and roam the camp, often just a few feet from the kids in our care each week.  I'll let you know how things get resolved, but I think nature is going to win out over humans on this one