Yorkshire Vet Julian Norton - My debut encounter with a skunk
This week I had an appointment at Sheffield college. I’d been invited to talk to some of the students about careers- more specifically, my career- working with animals. I occasionally get requests like this and I’m always happy to help if I can. Tierney, the tutor, was convinced my appearance would give some inspiration to the students. “The students are excited but nervous about your visit,” she had said a few days beforehand. Although the college does not offer a specific veterinary course, there are plenty of animal-related subjects.
In the recent past, early morning trips to Ponds Forge for swimming events with Archie were the reason for Sheffield trips. Before that, it was the gateway to the Peak District, where I used to go on Sundays for rock-climbing adventures. And the last time I visited this exact spot was to watch an athletics event- the college sits on the site of the former Don Valley stadium which was closed in 2013 and demolished soon after. There was much despair and gloom at the time, from all sports enthusiasts in Yorkshire. It was a tragedy that such a resource was allowed to disappear. But around nine am on a Tuesday, the place buzzed again as young people flocked to their lessons.
I arrived a few minutes late. This didn’t seem to matter, as we had the whole morning blocked off. The plan was to have a chat/interview with Tierney about working with animals along with top-tips for getting ahead into the field (it’s quite competitive and, of course, everyone loves animals). The college also has a TV and film department, for whom this was another opportunity, so the whole morning was filmed to help another bunch of students hone their skills.
Before we started, there was a sound check, under the supervision of the students. “There’s a funny buzzing noise on the mics,” someone remarked. Over the last ten years, I’ve come to know that sound irregularities are a major inconvenience for any director or sound engineer. It was well spotted and eventually rectified. The room filled up and we were off. On the screen behind us, there was a QR code displayed. Tierney explained that students could scan the code from a distance using their phone and ask any question by message to her tablet.
“That’s very nifty,” I said, amazed at the marvels of modern technology. “But, if you have a question, you can also put your hand up and just ask.” It seemed an easier way.
In the half-hour gap between the talks, I went to see the animals they had on site. The usual terrapins, Bearded Dragons and Stick Insects were kept inside, around the edges of one classroom, safely in tanks and appropriate containers. The rabbits, guinea pigs and ferrets lived outside, in the quadrangle. They looked happy and healthy and great for students to work with to satisfy some of the animal handling requirements. But there was another pen, safely secured with a padlock.
“What’s in this one?” I asked. “Oh, that’s our skunk. He’s a rescue. When he arrived, he had no hair but its grown quite nicely now,” Tierney explained. I’ve never seen a skunk in real life, so I asked if I could have a look. I’ve heard all about them and their habit of spraying stinking discharge over interlopers or in the direction of anyone with whom they disagree. I had no waterproofs or protective equipment with me, so decided I shouldn’t get too close.
“He needs his nails clipping but I don’t think we can do it ourselves,” was the assessment. I thought for a moment, then sensed an opportunity. I think I’ll be back here before long, because I’m sure I can help. There may be a camera with me next time…