A family pet skunk is on the loose in town after getting away from farm

A skunk is on the loose in a town in Devon after he got away from his owner’s farm who is appealing for help.

Barney is believed to have actually gone out after his owner Michele Cooper moved from a farm in Hertfordshire to one 200 miles away in Kentisbeare previously this month.

The friendly two-year-old skunk got scared by the relocation and is thought to have actually left his enclosure last Sunday.

Barney is amongst farmer Michele’s cool collection of animals that vary from peacocks, camels and meerkats to farmyard favourites like horses and ducks.

She informed DevonLive how Barney most likely ran about 6 miles far from the farm and has actually been found by 10 individuals in the location, providing the Berlin lion (or swine, rather) a run for its money.

‘He’s never ever gotten away previously,’ Michele said, including: ‘We go out most nights but have just literally missed him every time we get there.’

‘We have not just moved house, we have also moved farms, so you can imagine that was quite stressful in itself and it has been even more so with Barney disappearing,’ she said.

Kentisbeare has to do with 4 miles east of Cullompton in the Mid Devon district.

Michele informed the BBC that Barney has actually never ever sprayed or bitten any person and is most likely scuttling towards other neighbouring farms, drawn by the light.

‘Preferably go over to him and pick him up he will stamp his feet,’ she informed the broadcaster. She asked individuals to put him inside a cat rage or barn for her to get.

Any sightings of Barney are asked to be reported to Michele on 07973 210608.

With their shock of white fur, skunks have to do with the size of house cats and are understood for the rather apparent aroma of their spray – rotten eggs.

A little number of the nighttime animals – belonging to North, Central and South America – are believed to reside in Britain.

The RSCPA doesn’t generally suggest skunks be kept as family pets, with it being prohibited to eliminate their scent glands and an offense to launch them into the wild.

‘We believe that people may buy exotic animals, such as skunks, with little idea of how difficult they can be to keep and sadly we can get called in when the novelty wears off and the commitment hits home,’ a representative for the charity informed Metro.co.uk.

‘Pet skunks are essentially wild animals being kept in captivity but their welfare needs are no different to the needs of skunks living in the wild.

‘As we don’t think their requirements can be satisfied in a common household environment, we feel that skunks shouldn’t be kept as family pets.’

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