In December of 2016, Luna, the striped skunk, arrived in quarantine to begin her new life at the Akron Zoo. Before coming to the zoo, Luna lived at a university where she was trained to walk on a treadmill. Researchers were studying her to learn more about locomotion and body morphology. However, Luna was not trained to be held and would run for cover if a human approached her home.
Skunks can be great animal ambassadors, but leading research suggests that skunks are most comfortable in an environment where they arrive young and are held regularly. Unfortunately, since Luna was no longer a kit, this was not an option. However, through patience and perseverance, the education staff slowly conditioned Luna to associate her trainers with her favorite snacks. At first, trainers would simply sit and watch her eat from the far side of her house. In time, the food was moved closer and closer to us. Eventually, Luna became comfortable with climbing up into a trainer's lap for a food reward. She also learned to target to a small ball on a stick. This helped build her confidence because she didn’t need to be as close to people to earn a reward.
Today, Luna is much more at-ease around her trainers. She is held during programs, making this positive relationship with her trainers even more imperative, and has continued to improve at her socialization and targeting behaviors. Luckily, Luna is very food motivated, giving us a tool to reward her for approaching people and allowing us to interact with her.
As is the case for many animals, 2020 brought a few additional challenges for training with Luna. Our veterinary staff identified skunks as a species particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, and therefore extra handling precautions became necessary in the spring. The mesh covering Luna’s house was covered with acrylic to minimize her contact with outside pathogens. In addition, staff now wear gloves and surgical masks whenever we interact with Luna or anything she will come in contact with, such as her bedding or her diet. Luckily, the addition of PPE hasn’t had an effect on Luna’s behavior.
Of course, 2020 wasn’t all bad. In some ways, it also made life a little easier. For example, our education staff was unable to present our summer show “Zoo Days” in 2020, and we didn’t hire and train our usual handful of seasonal interpreters. This gave us additional time for training we wouldn’t normally have during our busy season. Plus, when virtual programming became the norm, Luna could be a part of these programs without leaving the comfort of her home. She has been a favorite of our virtual camp kids, the “Habitat Heroes,” who have watched her get into enrichment and enjoy a special snack.
Luna has also made appearances for virtual paint parties, and she is a fantastic artist. Guests can Zoom in from anywhere in the world to watch Luna (or one of our other animal ambassadors) paint. They pick the colors and watch the animal of their choice create art while learning about our animal ambassadors and what makes them unique. To create their masterpieces, ambassadors target over paint globs and walk (or hop, waddle or slither) onto a canvas. As a reward, they receive part of their prepared diet. After the painting dries, we send it to the guest’s home, where we hope it becomes a one-of-a-kind conservation conversation starter!
Sadly, skunks are a native species that have a bad reputation because of their strong odor. Many people don’t get the chance to see them up close and learn about this species. They have an amazing natural defense mechanism as well as some incredible natural behaviors that trainers and educators can showcase. Although COVID has challenged us to get creative with how we work with our striped skunk, she has made a lot of progress and is a wonderful addition to our zoo family!
If you would like to meet Luna, visit our website to learn more about our virtual camps or our many other virtual animal experiences!