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Southern Highlands couple puzzled and then amused by backyard encounter with skunk

Posted at 10:13 PM, Aug 08, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-09 08:03:44-04

A critter surprised a Las Vegas woman and her husband when he snuck into their backyard in Southern Highlands. Black and white and roaming in the Gennaro's backyard, they weren't sure what to make of the critter. 

"I said to be honest with you I don't know what that is," said Phyllis Gennaro. "Because I really had never seen a skunk. I mean just in pictures you know."

The skunk was discovered when their German Shepherd Zena began sniffing around a patio fountain. Phyllis and her husband investigated from the window behind it. 

"He looked like he found a nice quiet place. His eyes were closed. And when we shined the light he woke up. 

Thrown off by the broken stripes instead of a solid white stripe on the otherwise furry black creature, the native New Yorker questioned her knowledge of the animal kingdom. 

"I'm only here a year. I don't know the critters. In New York skunks are kind of much more common especially upstate not in the city," said Phyllis "I even called my brother. He said, umm you know I've been living out here 25 years and I've never seen a skunk."

But it's a spotted skunk and native to the area according to a spokesperson for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. So while not an unusual or welcome sight,

"I did post the video because it was cute. The skunk was very cute."