You can get rid of a dead skunk without harming the environment or your neighbors.
However, before you dispose of it, you need to understand why it was still alive. Generally, you may find an orphaned skunk in the midst of an urban area.
It may have been driven there by humans or it may have merely been born there. Regardless of why it’s there, it’s your responsibility to get rid of it.
So, how do you dispose of a dead skunk? Skunks are nocturnal creatures that live in underground burrows.
They come out at night in search of food. Unfortunately, sometimes they find a dead animal or human instead.
If this occurs, they can spray its scent as a warning to other animals to stay away. The smell can be so bad, it can permeate clothes for weeks.
Skunks can also be aggressive if threatened or cornered. For this reason, it’s important to get rid of a skunk’s body as soon as possible.
How To Dispose Of A Dead Skunk
Contents
Look for a Dumpster or a Landfill
After you’ve secured the plastic bin, open the lid and place the cage inside with the doors facing out towards the sides to prevent escape.
You may look for the closest dumpster to your locality and ask someone to throw the carcass into it immediately.
Do not leave the dead animal in the garbage bin overnight because it will attract scavengers.
This will make the stink linger in your vicinity longer and cause other problems as well.
If you leave the dead skunk near your garbage cans or dumpsters, rodents and other wild animals will come and eat the corpse and spread diseases around your neighborhood.
Seal the Plastic Trash Bag
It’s time to zip up the plastic trash bag so the animal remains don’t spill out on the way to the dump.
To close the hole, tie it tightly and cut off the excess plastic material using a box cutter.
Under no circumstances can the dead animal be left exposed to the elements because it will spread its scent for miles and attract other wild animals to your property that carry rabies and other deadly diseases.
If your plastic waste bag has holes from tying the bag, replace it with a new one or use duct tape to seal the holes.
Use Your Shovel to Pick Up the Dead Carcass
Scoop the shovel under the trash bag and transfer the body into the trash container as if you’re shoveling dirt into a hole.
The skunk may slide from the shovel as you lift it up, but that’s normal, so don’t be alarmed when that happens.
Move the shovel carefully and scoop more dirt over the carcass to cover it completely so the scavengers and flies won’t come near it.
If you don’t have a shovel, you may also use a small spade or a spade-like tool to dig a hole to bury the animal in and cover it with the dirt you scooped earlier on.
Prepare the Plastic Garbage Bag
If you are doing this job on your own, you can dispose of the dead animal in a garbage bag you have on hand or buy a disposable plastic bag from a store in your area for this purpose.
Take a huge trash can and position it near the area where you will bury the animal to prevent it from smelling up the area.
Place it near where the carcass is on the ground and pour some bleach inside the can to neutralize the smell temporarily before burying it.
If someone is assisting you, they can help move the trash can out of the way while you prepare the garbage bag for burial.
Gather Necessary Items
A few key things are needed to properly bury a skunk: gloves, plastic bags, a shovel or spade, and a garbage can for temporary storage of the dead animal’s body.
A huge plastic trash bag, rubber gloves, and a garbage container are the tools you will need to get the job done.
The gloves will safeguard your hands against getting sprayed by the skunk’s defensive spray, and the rubbish bag will help prevent the carcass from spreading its smell all over your property.
You will also be protected from being sprayed by the dead animal’s defense spray when you wear rubber gloves and cover your face with a cloth when you transfer it from the trash can to the garbage bag and into the grave.
Never approach a skunk, alive or dead, because it may attack you if it detects danger.
Contact Animal Control
In this situation, calling your local animal control center is the best solution to handle the situation quickly and prevent the spread of disease.
Not everyone has the skills and tools to get rid of a dead skunk the right way. In these cases, you should call a professional.
As a result, you may contact the nearest local animal control center for assistance on this matter, because exterminators usually know how to dispose of these animals without causing further problems to your family and neighbors.
If you come across an unwanted visitor like a rabbit, fox, coyote, raccoon, or even a bear on your property, you can call your local authorities for help.
Leaving the body out for an extended period will only worsen the problem and cause additional health problems for your children and pets.
This is not only an unpleasant sight to see, but it is also a potential health risk to you and your pets that you may not want to deal with.
If they approach the cadaver, they will not only smell its foul odor but will also be exposed to the bacteria and viruses that may be present in its decomposing body.
Also Read: Can You Throw Away A Blender?
Can You Bury the Dead Skunk?
Burying an animal corpse in your home is considered an act of animal cruelty and is against the law in most states.
For example, burying the dead skunk is not legal in California since it is against the law to bury any animal corpse on your property or on your property.
However, if you live on farmland or agricultural lands where animals are allowed to roam freely, then burying the corpse of the animal will not be a problem.
All you need to do is choose a suitable area to bury the animal carcass away from the public where your children cannot reach it and play with it.
You can dig a hole in your backyard and place the body inside. Cover it up so that other animals will not find the body and eat its flesh.
Other animals will come and dig in the area looking for food because they will smell the rotting carcass of the skunk and may die of starvation or eat the decaying flesh of the dead animal as well.
This is bad for your health and could lead to diseases that could affect your health and the health of your family in the long run.
