Padres Score on Skunks but Game Goes On

Another skunk made an appearance at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium sometime between Monday night and early Tuesday. Instead of interrupting a Padre game, this skunk was captured uninjured in a baited trap and given to a wildlife group to be set free near Alpine.

Stadium maintenance supervisor Jack Powell left four baited traps after retiring from work at 5:30 p.m. Monday. By 7 a.m. Tuesday, a skunk had walked into one of the traps.

At the request of stadium officials, Project Wildlife, a volunteer group that is based in San Diego, relocated the animal to the Alpine area, stadium manager Bill Wilson said.

“The animals aren’t a problem,” said Wilson, who has kept skunks as pets.

“They were here first. But when they delay the game, then that’s a problem. The pitchers lose their rhythm.”

Saturday night, a skunk waddled onto the playing field from the right field corner, slunk across the field, and exited back under the stands by the Padre bullpen. The game was delayed for seven minutes.

The animal was quickly and simply dubbed “the stadium skunk.” At that point, stadium officials believed there was only one. But the skunk caught in the trap early Tuesday was not the same critter.

“Saturday night we saw a large, mature skunk which looked pregnant, but the one we found this morning was a young, adult skunk a few pounds lighter,” Wilson said.

The animals apparently come up through the sewer system and make a home for themselves underneath the stands and munch on discarded stadium food.

Wilson now believes there are four or five skunks living around or under the stadium. He also believes that hundreds of swallows, a sparrow hawk, and wild cats have taken up residence.

Stadium officials have rented four traps from Lloyds Pest Control for $100 a month to help capture the skunks. The traps are baited with apples, peanut butter, tuna fish or cat food.

Project Wildlife did not charge the stadium administration for the skunk’s removal, said Rebecca Phillips, vice president of the organization. Phillips emphasized that the organization won’t come to your house to remove a skunk but has helped the stadium as a courtesy.