This question comes from a circle of thought processes, so bear with me a moment...
The skunks are waking up from hibernation, and after smelling so many sprays, one can't help but wonder (theoretically) what would happen if skunks were to suddenly go extinct? While discussing this with an animal control officer, and the potential negative impacts of skunks being removed from the ecology, he mentioned that one thing skunks do is help control bird populations by eating eggs.
Skunks coming out of hibernation also happens to be the same season geese are returning from the south, and there are quite a few mating pairs looking for nesting spaces. I know of an island in a lake not forfar from here where geese lay tonnes of eggs every year, right on the ground. Such an island would be a feast for a loose skunk, but anyone who's crossed paths with a mad goose knowknows that they aren't a bird to be trifled with. I wondered: Would a goose be deterred by a slow, lumbering skunk? Or would it go full angry goose mode and try to attack it to save it's nest? If it did it would probably get sprayed. In which case, how would the goose come out of that situation? Could the spray from a skunk be enough to kill a goose orsor other animals?
