The Howell Nature Center has welcomed two new lifelong residents: a pair of skunks named Flower and Bluebell.
The skunks came from a now-shuttered captive breeding program that bred skunks as pets, a practice that’s legal in Michigan with the proper permit.
Like most pet skunks, Flower and Bluebell were de-scented, meaning they can’t use their spraying defense mechanism. Their lack of defensive spray also means they can’t be released into the wild…