Owl Vs Skunk (Psst, the Skunk Apparently Won)

Last night, this owl was found on the road near Honeydew. It had apparently been sprayed by a skunk and was somewhat discombobulated, according to Dylan Mattole who found it. Though the video ends with the owl still on the ground, Mattole assured us that it flew away.

As a possible postscript to the story, about a quarter mile further on, Mattole said he and his friend saw a skunk scampering down the road.

Great horned owls (we think this is a coastal great horned owl but please chime in) prey on skunks. According to Wikipedia, “In one single nest, the remains of 57 different striped skunks were found.[120] Due to the proclivity of skunk predation, great horned owls nests frequently smell strongly of skunk and occasionally will even stink so powerfully of skunk that they leave the smell at kill sites or on prey remains.[10][121]

Note: You can follow Dylan Mattole on Instagram @Mattolevalleyorganics.

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13 Comments
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Freedom Club
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Freedom Club
6 years ago

Beautiful creature. Hope he makes a strong recovery, but nature can be a cruel beast at times.

Terry L. Clark
Guest
6 years ago

A parable for wise citizens who appear before local governmental bodies…

zookeeper
Guest
zookeeper
6 years ago

Skunk control is a dirty job but somebody has to do it. Those little stinkers breed like rats.

Meadowlark
Guest
Meadowlark
6 years ago

I am very excited to show this video clip to my kindergarten class. The citizens who found this poor owl were kind and I am so glad they rescued it from the middle of the road.

onlooker
Guest
onlooker
6 years ago

Skunk is a preferred prey of the Great horned owl, which has no scent-sensitivity. Most other predators have an averson response to the skunk’s white-and-black color pattern, which serves as an advance warning of “you don’t want to eat me!”

Mt guess is that the owl was disoriented by vehicle headlights more than a skunk spray.

Wren
Guest
Wren
6 years ago
Reply to  onlooker

Or by lights or gens. There’s not any on that stretch, but it was probly looking for a place it could see and hear. Maybe out of it’s usual hunt ground. Thanks dillan matolle & friend. Hope that owl gets that skunk next time. Long live the food chain.

Wren
Guest
Wren
6 years ago
Reply to  Wren

By the way, thanks for your comments tnite Kym!

Wren
Guest
Wren
6 years ago
Reply to  Wren

Ps, if a daylight skunk is eatin by a daylite owl, does it get rabies?
Glad you didn’t feel those talons.

Scott
Guest
Scott
6 years ago

Wow, cool!

Life is good
Guest
Life is good
6 years ago

I agree. Very cool and interesting.

sausage fingers
Guest
sausage fingers
6 years ago

brave move with no hand protection ? if that owl had grasped his fingers/hand with its talons he’d know about it…

TQM
Guest
TQM
6 years ago

lol!

Jason Salomon
Guest
Jason Salomon
6 years ago

Right on Dylan, watch out for the claws they are huge!