‘Mass poisoning’ suspected in deaths of 9 Metro Vancouver skunks
In just over a week, nine skunks have been taken to a rehabilitation centre in Langley suffering from symptoms of poisoning.
Staff at Critter Care Wildlife Society did everything they could, but not a single one survived.
Seven were found in Richmond, and then over the weekend, two more were discovered in Vancouver.
Some skunks were dead on arrival, while others had trouble breathing, were foaming at the mouth, and were suffering from seizures, unconsciousness and distress.
“Something is very wrong, there is a mass poisoning,” said Lesley Fox of the animal advocacy group The Fur-Bearers.
It’s not clear whether the skunks were targeted directly, or whether they ingested a substance meant for rodents.
Either way, Fox is reminding the public that most poisons are forbidden by law, because “poison is extremely inhumane and it’s extremely dangerous,” she warned.
It’s also bad for the ecosystem. For example, an owl may be poisoned after eating a poisoned mouse or rat.
A family pet might also ingest something toxic.
“It’s really important for The Fur-bearers to sound the alarm that something is wrong,” said Fox.
“In my entire time at The Fur-Bearers I’ve never seen anything like this.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada Disability Benefit needs to be safeguarded from clawbacks, MPs unanimously agree
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.
Testifying in hush money trial, adult film actor Stormy Daniels describes first meeting Trump
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential election 10 years later.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Turfing Poilievre from House a clear sign of desperation by Trudeau Liberals
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
Apple unveils new iPad Pro with 'outrageously powerful' AI-powered chip
Apple is hoping its latest iPad lineup will breathe new life into its sluggish tablet market. In a pre-recorded live streamed event from its Cupertino, California headquarters, the company introduced the latest versions of its iPad Pro and iPad Air tablets, and an all-new Apple Pencil Pro.
Katy Perry's mom was fooled by AI images of the singer at the Met Gala
Katy Perry did not attend the Met Gala on Monday, but some of the singer’s fans – and even her mom – thought she did.
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.