OFW shares close encounter with 2 skunks outside Canada home

An Overseas Filipino Worker based in Canada shared a close encounter with an animal not found in the Philippines: the skunk.

As seen in Kuya Kim Atienza's report on "24 Oras," Wednesday, Keane Tan stopped in his tracks when he saw two skunks outside his apartment as he was about to go home.

"Minamalas nga naman talaga oh. Dami daming makakasalubong, ito pa," Keane was heard saying in his video.

One of them even tried approaching him. He tried shooing them away, but he stopped himself.

"Dito kasi sa Canada, parang common knowledge na 'pag may nakita kang skunk, stay away, 'wag bugawin, 'wag gulatin," he said. "Hintayin mo lang silang umalis kasi 'pag umutot sila, 'yun nga, deadly 'yung utot nila."

Keane had no choice but to wait it out.

According to Kuya Kim, skunks are nocturnal and crepuscular, or active during the nighttime, dusk, or early morning.

"During the day, natutulog lang sila sa kanilang mga den. Ang mga skunks ay gising sa gabi para maiwasan nila ang mga malalaking predators such as eagles and wolves," said Isaiah Gray Fernandez, a wildlife biologist.

Often mistaken as cats or cat-like animals, skunks are mephitidae, or part of the mammalian family known for their highly developed scent glands that have the ability to spray a foul-smelling liquid as a way of defense.

Fernandez said that skunks lift their tails as a first warning. If the predator does not leave, they will spray the liquid. They can reach their target up to 12 feet away and they can aim at the eyes of the predators.

The bad odor comes from sulfur compounds called thiols. These can be compared to the smell of spoiled eggs, spoiled garlic and onions, and burnt rubber.

"Mahirap tanggalin ang thiols dahil ang mga molecules nito ay madaling kumapit sa balat, damit, at buhok," Fernandez said. "Hindi rin sila basta basta nahuhugasan kasi hindi sila water-soluble o natutunaw sa tubig just like mantika."

A local animal that also releases a bad odor as a defense mechanism is the pantot, or Palawan stink badger. Only found on the island, they are notorious for their foul scents to avoid animals who want to capture or hurt them. They also use the scent to mark their territories.

The badger has long nails used to dig through soil, look for freshwater crabs to eat, and to look for small insects. —Nika Roque/MGP, GMA News