El Pasoan helps remove stuck yogurt cup from skunk’s head, caught on camera

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- An ABC-7 viewer by the name of Fred shared security footage of himself removing a yogurt cup that had gotten stuck on a skunk's head.

According to the viewer, he was on his morning walk around 6 a.m. Saturday in Northwest El Paso, that's when he noticed a skunk in the area was moving oddly.

Fred told ABC-7 that after getting closer to the skunk, he saw that a yogurt cup was covering the skunk's head.

Fred also told ABC-7 that he had called 311 to report the skunk in need of help but realized that it was not within operating hours. Fred said he wanted to help the creature, so he used a grabber reacher tool to help pry its head loose from the yogurt cup, as well as a piece of cloth to prevent getting sprayed by the skunk.

After a few moments, the skunk is seen running away with the yogurt cup in the grasp of the grabber reacher tool. Fred later discovered that his security camera had captured the entire rescue as seen below.

Fred shared the following video of the skunk with ABC-7 showing the skunk in his driveway, almost a half hour before the rescue, ultimately going around in circles with the yogurt cup stuck on its head.

ABC-7 reached out to El Paso Animal Services (EPAS) for comment on the rescue, but has not received a response as of the publication of this article.

According to EPAS's website, EPAS does not encourage residents to approach wildlife, but instead keep these tips in mind:

• Pick up any pet bowls from outside, especially overnight. Outdoor food and water bowls will often attract wildlife like foxes and skunks. Also, secure trash cans.
• If you see wildlife acting unusually, circling or staggering, hurting itself, shaking, please call 311 immediately, as the animal could be sick.
• When letting pets out for a potty break, walk the yard first to see if you spot any wildlife. 
• Always ensure your pets are up-to-date with their yearly Rabies vaccine - this could protect them if they ever come into contact with high-risk Rabies wildlife such as coyotes, foxes, raccoons, skunks, and bats.
• Never touch, approach, or try to pick up wildlife, even if it looks injured or young. Contact 311 or Texas Parks and Wildlife. 
• Do not feed or interact with wildlife - this could lead to aggressive, protective behavior and disease risk. 

Information on the EPAS website says that if you have any questions regarding wildlife or are unsure of what to do regarding wildlife, you're always welcome to call 311 or Texas Parks and Wildlife at (915) 849-4080.