Skunk with late stage rabies 😥

Felt bad seeing the suffering of this poor girl who nested near our house. Noticed her roaming around the area and spraying erratically nearby over the past few days. Heard some neighborhood kids making a fuss outside and found her on the front steps. Called Animal Control and they picked her up within 30 minutes.
Haven't heard definitively if it was rabies yet, but it's hard to imagine it could be anything else.

[@rico993]

Since so many people seem to be commenting similar things: I took this video _after_ I had already called Animal Control. They arrived within minutes to put this poor girl out of her misery safely. And no, I was not going to kill it myself because: 1. I don't own a gun. And even if I did, what do you think is going to happen to a black man randomly shooting off a gun in a suburban neighborhood? I'm good without a visit from the cops, thanks. 2. Only an idiot would try to kill it with their bare hands. RABIES IS NOT A JOKE, EVEN FOR HUMANS. It is one of the most infectious and deadly viruses ever discovered, and it would be foolish to intentionally expose yourself to it without proper gear.

[@BellsofNevermore]

You did the right thing. Contacting animal control and also spreading awareness with this video are so important. people don't know what rabies looks like, much of the time. Glad you are safe.

[@christopherbell5502]

Thank you bro you have said enough a black man pulling a gun out on an animal we have to much shit to worry about than get falsely accused of something you did the right thing

[@sjacqVO21]

good sh*t, my guy. you did the right thang.

[@johnjones6049]

Dude... let's get real about anyone shooting a gun off in a suburban area... it's not an issue of race... it's an issue about neighbors calling the police on anyone if they fart wrong and they don't like it... and cops actually like shooting up a wh!te dude way more than any other man because it's just way easier and they catch way less crap over it... it's The New Normal of The New Age of The New World...

[@lindelheimen]

There’s also the fact shooting it spreads the infectious blood

[@WhirlingMusic]

Can't imagine what that must feel like. Probably nonstop torture.

[@srchnfrcj]

It is an agonizing death. The victim will drift in and out of delirium. They will at times be consciously aware of what is happening to them. Scary

[@hoidoei941]

I can watch most gore video’s but rabid humans (especially kids) with hydrophobia freak me out

[@noincomprehensible3849]

@@hoidoei941that exists? 👀

[@Luckydog-cc9jn]

@@noincomprehensible3849it does, they’re probably from india from what I’ve seen (even though they’re old, old) it’s sad to see people out there with no education on this type of thing…

[@sharonjacobs5351]

Watching a rabid animal of any kind is heart wrenching no matter what kind of animal it is .The progression of this disease is ruthless . They stumble and fall , have one seizure after another until they're twisted and contorted unable to make any purposeful movements at all ! This is a brain disease and has been frightening men for hundreds of years ! . . 😔

[@Jaecht88]

Rabies is pure zombie nightmare material. COVID IS NOTHING AGAINST RABIES

[@Sir_Catnip]

Well, Covid wasn't much of anything either

[@johnathanaguilera7245]

Other than the fact that it could kill u, you're right.

[@StoutShako]

Rabies can only be spread by direct contact with an animal or its infected fluids like saliva. It can also take weeks, months, or even years to get to the brain and start affecting you badly, and in that time you can get vaccinated against it and have your body start fighting against it before it starts shutting down parts of your brain and making you go crazy. But once it does, you're screwed. Covid is highly transmissible by respiratory droplets, meaning you can get infected just by being in the same room as someone infected, even if you never come into direct contact with them. While it doesn't make you go crazy or hyper aggressive, it can essentially liquefy your lungs and make you drown on dry land in your own fluids, which is nearly identical to how mustard gas killed people in the trenches of WW1. It can also take up to 2 weeks to show symptoms (if it ever does), and during that time, you can still actively be spreading it to other people without ever knowing it. They're both terrifying diseases, but honestly, in this day and age when we have drones, fighter jets, and tanks, a zombie outbreak seems way less threatening than a virus that can spread across the world and cause so much havoc, nearly every country is forced to shut down for months just to get the rising number of hospitalizations under control. Especially when you have people refusing to wear masks or get vaccinated. My aunt was an anti-vaxxer, and she died due to Covid nearly a year ago on the dot. I've never known anyone to even see rabies irl, much less infected by it. The point is this: Rabies is more terrifying on an individual level, while Covid is more terrifying on a societal level. You can't really compare them, and you should definitely take them both seriously, but comparing the two is like comparing apples to acorns.

[@MrGreatnessisme]

Nothing is against rabies. Not even Ebola or whatever much scarier virus is. Rabies is basically god tier fatality.

[@daisymay6505]

100% fatality in animals, 99% in humans

[@midnick2159]

100% mortality rate, truly frightening stuff.

[@srchnfrcj]

Indeed. It has the highest case to mortality rate for any infectious disease. Thats exactly why you stay away from bats, skunks, foxes, & raccoons. There are other rabies vectors but these are your most common ones.

[@Benjamin-yw9ll]

Nope mortality rate is %99.9 because of that one girl that survived Rabies after symptoms due to her being sort of "immune"

[@sjacqVO21]

@@Benjamin-yw9ll i think they meant in animals.

[@VoVina111]

​@@Benjamin-yw9llwhy didn't they use her DNA to make vaccines or antidotes or whatever 😩

[@Luckydog-cc9jn]

@@VoVina111Well, they are vaccines for animals to prevent it and humans if they’re bitten. That’s why I and vets always encourage people to vaccinate their pets against rabies!

[@smiffythecat3751]

Yes, very, very sad to see a little animal suffering!

[@MartinAston00]

That’s the worst part of it too.. it’s like they’re seizing with this feeling of constantly being pulled backwards. I would just shoot them vs letting them suffer, but although I have plenty of critters and deer around my house I’ve never come across a rabid animal in real life.

[@kortgreen7725]

@Scoobyfan 86 that's why we need to stop crying about the poor Lil animals and eliminate the spread of rabies and any other terminal diseases by taking the common sense approach. Be informed. Do your homework and don't take the advice of others unless you are sure.

[@shecat1964]

Thank you for your kindness. One of the first things to notice is a skunk outside during the day. We also had to call for help for one about 10 years ago and now i think there is another one o have watched grow up over the past year. Last 2 nights i have seen this skunk, he seems very unstable on his feet, at first i thought he was limping and had an injured leg. Then i noticed him trying to drink water and his head was jerking really bad and kept nearly drowning. Then he was eating dirt and old bird seed and taking big bites of the ground. There was a bowl of cat kibble close by he/she showed no interest in. Im not sure where this one nests, though there has been a family that nests under a neighbours shed for years. We have quite a few skunks around here so im pretty worried for them all. Plus i have a raccoon i have been nursing back to health, who comes by every night. I would be heart broken if he got rabies after all hes been through. Hes finally gaining weight and made a partner he brings by some nights. More like his body guard. He was viscously attacked by 2 other raccoons few months back, after showing up around my yard very skinny. They then cornered him and literally bit what was left of his butt off. He still looks odd, but hes healed and gained weight. None of the wildlife places anywhere close by could do nothing for him as the were over run with orphaned babies. So they just told me to keep an eye on him.

[@julieshankland6007]

I had to do rabies shots as I was bit by a bat as I stepped on him. You're right rabies is no joke

[@eugenecaldwell9619]

So where you walking around bare foot?

[@ursulasmith6402]

I feel so bad and so sorry for those poor babies.

[@russcampbell2894]

Someone needed to put it out of its misery. Then call animal control. Why let it suffer. And don't forget the bleach

[@simonescott8972]

He said he called prior to filming.

[@TvshkaHumma]

This has to be one of the more disturbing diseases to watch in action.

[@carolgwilt1885]

So sad. What a horrible disease.

[@ymergall]

Zombie rules apply here don’t get bit or scratched!

[@mikecoulter6350]

Zombies my ass, so tired of hearing everyone compare rabies to zombies. It's bull. No comparison for one zombies are dead no pulse. And do not and never will exist. 2 rabies is very real and very deadly. Get out of the fantasy realm, Rick Grimes

[@Usere-mo2xi]

Poor thing, I walked up on a rabid one while mushroom foraging today and felt so bad.

[@eugenecaldwell9619]

Did you call animal control?

[@FloofyQuenchiest]

Poor thing :(

[@lauraschuler3894]

Very sad, It's terrible what they go through.

[@jonathancullen4539]

that is so horrible to see poor little pet.

[@Lina5]

Put it out of his misery for the love of God!!!

[@ronderulijkummar7453]

Awe ..Poor Lil Guy.😪😪😪

[@JoeDread316]

If you own a gun and did not help end that animals suffering, there is something wrong with you.

[@EVLfreak666]

it's illegal to shoot animals in a suburban area unless they are actively attacking someone.

[@stingray6154]

Very sad

[@NZCLUB_reals]

must be really painful. seizures are muscular stress on steroids

[@duanelocke5892]

That poor critter definitely needed to be put out of his misery. Doesn't even look like it had the mobility to flee. Just waiting to die.

[@user-fh1rt1jj6x]

Hi Rico - I'm working on a new TV series where we feature a sequence about Rabies. Was this Skunk confirmed to have rabies? We'd love to license this for use in our sequence if possible. How do I get in contact to discuss the details? Thanks!

[@annaarviso1520]

That poor sweet baby. 😢 I hope she’s resting easy now. She didn’t deserve this. 🦨💔 I’m convinced all animal souls go to heaven ❤

[@Idk_lol3214]

I have a skunk that has been wondering around my neighborhood at daytime, not very afraid of humans, but doesn’t seem to twitch. He’s been around for about a month is he rabid?

[@Luckydog-cc9jn]

If it’s a month, I would say no. If you’re really concerned about it, suggest calling animal control and see if something is up with that creature

[@scipiosmith3570]

These things eats rats and mice. That's why they almost always get rabies. Poor thing though.

[@anastahjagoodnature2451]

Mice and rats don't typically carry rabies

[@professorblack40]

Be extra careful

[@sashkad9246]

here in Europe we vaccinate wild animals against rabies, isn't that a thing over there?

[@redtyrant3106]

The primary reservoir for rabies in the United States is bats. There are simply too many of them over too large an area of land to effectively vaccinate them all. This is why it will be nearly impossible to eradicate rabies globally.

[@crazydrummer181]

Lol

[@fredwatson441]

My wife and I love wildlife. We watched until it sickened us. What kind of person puts this much time into filming such a horrible death?

[@jowo8034]

It’s educational. There are plenty of skunks and raccoons in my suburban neighborhood, plus I spend a lot of time in the woods. I want to know what rabies looks like so I can recognize a sick animal.

[@pamelamyers5917]

Poor skunk.🤔😦. Feel so bad for any animal that suffers from this disease😥😥

[@roslynatdigsbydetailed9422]

Question. So why does nobody shot the animals or take them out of their misery rather than film them suffering. Is it against the law to kill a rabid animal?

[@rebbyy95]

you're assuming every person filming has guns

[@BrandonDickenson35]

Valid point but it wouldn't take much of the improvised weapon to end that little things suffering.

[@KECOG]

Most would shoot in the head, the part that needs to be kept whole so it can be tested for the rabies virus. Best not to engage, anyway, as the animal can get up and run, and/or bite unexpectedly.

[@Whatthefudgecookie]

@@BrandonDickenson35 Getting close with any short range weapons risks exposure if you get bitten. As sad as it is, letting nature take its course helps prevent the spread of the disease to people.

[@AzazelHash281]

That might be an older person or someone who moves slowly, even a drop of body fluid is enough to transmit

[@santatigerclaus]

hate rabies

[@user-qm6mo8vo6x]

OMG This is so sad to see. The poor baby

[@chrisdogg1403]

Hard to tell if it has paralytic are dumb rabies definitely in late stages though so it's definitely suffered thank God you called animal control to have it put down

[@samhaddock7668]

I hope they scrub away any rabies saliva left from the skunk.

[@johnbellamy6449]

😢😢😢😭😭😭 that poor animal x

[@Rusty4u]

Pepe not lookin so good

[@amandakressley6521]

I’m an animal lover it’s true but my family didn’t have a lot of money so if our animals got rabies or we found one with rabies the most sensible thing you can do it’s get a gun and end it’s suffering just don’t shoot it in the head they study the brain to make sure if the animal is rabid. But there is one way to be sure an animal is rabid in the future put out a water dish animals know they have to drink to survive but if they have rabies they want water but will have aversion to it

[@reason5591]

The humane thing to do is put the poor animal out of its misery because theres no saving it now, its far too late.

[@kortgreen7725]

This is very deceiving to a small child or an emotional woman who doesn't recognize that this animal has rabies and cannot be saved. But there are more than enough well meaning individuals who will try to " save" this poor Lil skunk who has" fallen and can't get up"!. There is no cure for rabies in animals. Wild animals can KILL! EVEN THE SO CALLED CUTE ONES! It's shotgun and shovel time! Not sunshine, unicorns and rainbows! Reality and logic dictates the simple and only approach. Ask any successful farmer in the south.

[@anniegreenwind971]

Loved how you explained that.

[@kimberlygabaldon3260]

Did you find out for sure, yet?

[@rosesmith6208]

Poisoning not pathogenic virus poor crittors

[@terrimabrey93]

🥀

[@RedRoadRunner23]

Poor little guy

[@linedallaire6637]

Could it be poison?

[@user-os4wp9jj4i]

Нет чтоб прибить его окончить мучение нет надо смотреть снимать 3 часа 2 минуты бы хватило

[@shannoncopley539]

Poor baby

[@indahf.freztiyana824]

I have bow and arrows instead of guns, might try to aim for the head for a quick dismissal, poor girl... I can't say the same thing for a damn raccoon tho, they're really nasty...

[@daisymay6505]

they need the brain whole to test it

[@junebug8421]

😥💔

[@richardmyers137]

So sad

[@lowellirish]

And to think THIS is what they are developing in aerosol in the Ukrainian bioweapons labs?!!!

[@Elizabeth-ts4om]

Any update?

[@ross-ij6qn]

It died

[@carag2567]

Rabies has a 100% mortality rate. The only possible update is that the skunk died.

[@emoliver80]

Description says animal control was called but they hadn't heard yet if it was definitely rabies, although they assume it was.

[@drunkingsailor2359]

@@emoliver80 city isn't going to waste time and money on a clear Case, they dispatch her.

[@ronaldtoran4332]

Yes. Good news. They air-lifted him to the nearest emergency unit where they treated him with cutting edge rabies treatments. He's been stabilized and is recovering. Bless his little heart. First advanced rabies survivor ever.

[@taytay-cn2ry]

Sad

[@hopeaguirre2466]

😭😭😭😭💔💔💔💔

[@anamas149]

😢😢😢

[@lindapryor3747]

I don’t understand why people won’t just help the guys out and put them out of their misery instead of filming their agony.

[@rico993]

Try reading the pinned comment first and then maybe you would understand

[@FrostBite-kl7pf]

everyone here says poor creature poor baby but what about humanity after they get bit humans deal with the same torture these animals go thru once they have been bitten only difference is these animals die once contracted to the disease but humans have to have vaccines year after year for the rest of they lives then you gotta worry bout whether or not they will turn into zombies or even defeat the disease

[@jy840]

Uh, sweetie, I’m gonna say this as gently as i possibly can. The diseases cause the disease, not the vaccines. If you get bitten by a rabid animal, a vaccine will, in fact, save your life.

[@redtyrant3106]

This is not true. You only need one series of vaccine. You will not need shots for the rest of your life.

[@Here_This]

😥💔