The Skunk With His Head In The Peanut Butter Jar
Once upon a time there was a hungry skunk who went on a journey to find something good to eat. Imagine his excitement
when he discovered a tasty jar of peanut butter. But this presented a challenge, the only way he could reach the yummy
peanut butter at the bottom of the jar was to stick his head all the way inside. But once his head went inside he could not get
it back out. Our skunk now found his head completely stuck in the peanut butter jar he'd once been so happy
to find - quite the predicament indeed. Eventually, a nice lady came across the frustrated skunk and called
Skunk Whisperer Ned Bruha for help.
After some phone calls to the proper authorities Ned was able to obtain the required permission to remove the jar and
set the skunk free. Some gentle handling and the skunk was soon freed and on his way home.
The story was filmed by KOTV in Tulsa and was quickly picked up by both national and international news, and was
seen on The CBS Morning Show, CNN, BBC and other media sources around the world. The response was staggering with
input pouring in from across the globe. Many viewers wondered why there had been a delay in removing the jar,
causing concern and even a parody skit on the Bonnie Hunt show.
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A video essay about the predicaments the skunk and Ned got themselves into - the original story
is presented in the video to the left and the Bonnie Hunt Show recap can be found to the right.
Learn more about how wildlife laws can affect rescues, Bonnie Hunt's first reaction
to the original news story and Ned's follow-up rebuttal on her show.
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Why Things Were Done The Way They Were:
To some viewers it appeared that the skunk was not rescued as promptly as it should have been,
for instance, the Bonnie Hunt Show was initially critical of Ned for not postponing his interview until after the peanut butter
jar had been removed and the skunk was freed from his predicament.
However, it is important for viewers to understand that the rescue process
could not take place until special permission had been received from the state of Oklahoma.
Consequently, most of the filming and interview were conducted while Skunk Whisperer Ned Bruha was waiting
for this permission from the state, a process which took approximately one hour. The special permission was required
from the state because Oklahoma laws normally mandate death or relocation of the skunk in such situations.
Although Ned and the person who requested help wanted to simply remove the jar and let the skunk go, they
could not do so before receiving state permission or Bruha could have lost his state permit to practice wildlife control.
If the skunk had been transported to a wildlife rehabilitator with the jar on his head, the situation would have
become even more stressful for the skunk and it would have sprayed those around him.
As the situation turned out, permission was received, Ned was able to gently calm down the
flustered skunk with chloroform, release it from the jar and everybody walked away happy - including the skunk.
Local station KOTV also ran a
follow up story
explaining why the rescue of the skunk had to be delayed.
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