City offering help as skunks continue to raise stink in Charlottetown

The number of residents calling the City of Charlottetown to help get rid ofskunks has skyrocketed over the last couple of years.

There were more than 600 calls last year, almost twice the number from 2020, said Scott Adams, the manager of public works for the city

"They can be quite a nuisance for homeowners and that smell especially with the skunks so we're seeing that call volume increase."

Adams believes the increased calls are due in part to the growing population, but also because more people are aware they can get traps from the city.

Set for 5 days

"It is free of charge for City of Charlottetown residents only," Adams said. "You call in to us, you get a trap set for five days. If the trap is unsuccessful, it does get taken away because it goes to the next people on the list. But you can call back again and get back on that list to get another trap."

Anyone needing help with an animal that is inside a house or outbuilding will have to hire a professional, Adams said.

The city is hiring a new animal control contractor who will start Sept.1. Adams said they will have at least 50 skunk traps and 50 raccoon traps, which is more than they've had in past years.