FEATURED RESCUE STORY
A 400–Mile Flight to Make Friends
An orphaned western spotted skunk needed more than a warm home to grow up wild — he needed other skunks. Flying Tails made sure distance wasn’t the reason he grew up alone.
RESCUE STORY · NORTHERN CALIFORNIA → SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA
As reported by People — this rescue was featured in an exclusive story. Read the original story ↗
400+ MILES
Flown from Northern California to San Diego County
6 SKUNKS
Rare western spotted skunks rehabbing together at once
4 RELEASED
Returned to the wild together after reaching key milestones
THE STORY
An Orphan, Far From His Own Kind
Western spotted skunks are notoriously reclusive, and rare to see in rehabilitation at all. When an orphaned juvenile turned up at Sierra Wildlife Rescue in Northern California, staff knew he needed more than food and shelter. He needed other skunks his age to grow up alongside, and the nearest group of them was more than 400 miles away.
Closing the Distance by Air
Flying Tails volunteer pilots covered that distance in a single flight, carrying the orphaned skunk south to the San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center, home to a group of other rescued western spotted skunks already in care.
“We have never seen this many western spotted skunks in a single season before.”
Autumn Welch, Wildlife Operations Manager, San Diego Humane Society
Growing Up Wild, Together
Once reunited with other young skunks, the group quickly bonded, exploring, digging, and sleeping together, exactly the kind of natural behavior wildlife rehabilitators hope to see. That socialization helps prevent the animals from becoming too comfortable around people, a crucial step before life back in the wild. After reaching the right weight and developmental milestones, four of the six skunks, including the one flown in from the north, were released together into a remote area of Valley Center, California. The remaining two are expected to follow within one to two months.
HELP THE NEXT ORPHAN
Be Part of the Next Rescue
Every flight like this one is funded by donors and flown by volunteer pilots. Your support helps Flying Tails give the next orphaned animal exactly what he needs, even when that’s 400 miles away.