Did Police Really Save A Skunk From A McFlurry?
Humans with their wild imaginations love fanciful animal stories. Tales of alligators stuck in New York's sewers are a persistent legend that turns out to be mostly false (via The New York Times). But a skunk getting stuck in a McDonald's McFlurry cup? You would think the chances of something like that happening are slim, but this unusual animal tale happens to be true. Snopes checked it out, and a video posted to YouTube and all over social media proves it: A police officer on June 5 in Brampton, a city in Ontario, Canada, used gloves, excellent hand-eye coordination, and some quick feet to pull a McFlurry cup off a skunk's head without even getting sprayed for his efforts.
The story had a happy ending, so Peel Regional Police in Canada had some fun with the incident on its Instagram page. "What do you get when a police officer and a skunk cross? Law and odour," they posted.
What is it with skunks and fast food — especially in Canada?
Not only did a brave and nimble police officer in Brampton, Canada rescue a skunk whose head was stuck in a McFlurry cup earlier this month. Apparently, skunks are running around with McDonald's cups on their heads all the time. If you don't believe it, just type "skunk McFlurry" in YouTube's search bar and see how many hits you get. Remarkably, in 2017, HuffPost Canada posted a story with the headline, "Canadian skunks can't stop getting stuck in McFlurry cups." You'd think it would be Tim Hortons cups, but ... yes, in fact, Mounties did help a skunk stuck in a Tim Hortons cup in Manitoba. Canada must have a lot of skunks or a lot of fast food, but American skunks have this problem sometimes, too. CBS Boston reported on a police officer who was able to remove a yogurt container from a skunk's head but wasn't able to avoid a thank-you spray (via YouTube).
There's a lesson to be learned here. You can't teach a skunk to avoid sweet, creamy treats, so humans need to do a better job disposing of their not-quite-empty McFlurry cups. This does require some extra effort in skunk country. The critters are experts at breaking into garbage cans, so use an animal-proof container for your trash, or secure the lid with a bungee cord (via Wildlife Removal).