A Woodchuck Gets Drunk, a Skunk Gets its Head Stuck in a Cup ...

Who Turned Out the Lights?

A passing motorist reported seeing a baby skunk with a cup stuck on its head walking around on Gay Bower Road at 8 a.m. Sept. 3. Police said the driver used either a rake or a broom handle to safely remove the cup and the animal walked off into the woods.

"If they don't see a threat, they don't spray," Monroe Animal Control Officer Edward Risko said of skunks. "When someone sees a skunk with something stuck on its head, we recommend using something to cover its head, then removing it."

Some items that could be used are a blanket, a towel or a coat.

One Apple Too Many

Animal Control Officer Edward Risko said the woodchuck that fell into an enclosed garden area in front of Monroe Town Hall and became trapped last week got drunk from eating an apple during its rescue. (See the photo)

A live trap was used to get the animal out of the pit and Risko said the woodchuck ate an entire apple inside the cage. Before it was released back into the wild, Risko said the woodchuck fell onto its back in a drunken stupor.

Risko said apples can also make horses intoxicated.

A Falcon Needs Rehab

A sick or injured Kestral Falcon was captured and removed from a yard on Plumer Lane at around 10:09 a.m. on Aug. 24. (See the photo)

The bird was taken to a Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) licensed raptor rehabilitator in Stratford for continued care.

Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue

A wandering dog that was impounded last week found its way home with the help of its rabies vaccination tag and Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue, which , according to Animal Control Officer Edward Risko.

The stray Rhodesian Ridgeback was seen wandering around in the Guinea Road and Gaylor Drive area at 10 p.m. on Aug. 22 and was captured by a Monroe Animal Control officer. (See the photo)

The male dog, which weighed at least 110 pounds, was wearing a collar with a rabies tag that expired in 2009, according to police.

Risko said information on the rabies tag led to the owner, who lives in Milford. He was keeping his dog with relatives on Guinea Road in Monroe, who were supposed to be watching his pet, police said.

A Guinea Road man redeemed the dog for a $15 fee on Aug. 24 and was given a verbal warning for allowing a dog to roam and failure to license. Risko said Milford Animal Control was notified and will follow up on the license violation.