By Emma Zaremba
Features Assignment Editor
We’ve all heard the stories, the warnings and we’ve probably had an encounter or two ourselves with the creatures on campus. It’s possible the Franciscan lifestyle so prominent around campus has let the St. Bonaventure wildlife feel a bit too comfortable.
There is a family of skunks that seem to have no fear to pop up when students least expect it. At first glance they almost seem cute, but their nature says otherwise.
Junior political science major Steven Kibbe reluctantly recalled one of his unfortunate skunk encounters.
“I was walking back from one of the townhouses with my friend, and on the side of Dev we ran into a skunk,” Kibbe said. “Unfortunately, the skunk was blocking my path on my return to Shay, and as I went one way, the skunk followed. As I went the other way, the skunk did the same. This continued for about four minutes. It was quite the standoff, but eventually I was able to out-flank the skunk and get back to my house.”
Although Kibbe found himself in a face-off with the feisty skunk, he views the incident as a good story to tell.
Many students have come across these furry friends, including senior psychology major Tony Little. The campus skunks clearly lack boundaries, because this specific one thought it acceptable to act as a welcome mat at Little’s townhouse.
“The other night on my way back from lab, my roommate left the garbage out on our front step and the skunk adventured over to it, causing me to wait outside until my friends banged on the front door, eventually scaring it away,” Little said.
Normally, skunks will either spray for defense or run away when they hear any bit of noise. Bona skunks don’t care. Their mannerisms tend to contradict the warning emails students have received in the past, because the creatures seem unaffected by humans. If they’re unaffected by human activity, why fear them? Of course, they are wild animals, and it’s important to steer clear.
Aside from the friendly Bonaventure skunks, campus is also home to some rather intuitive squirrels.
Junior history major Raylenn Duncan has had a strange encounter with one of the notorious Bonaventure squirrels.
“I was leaving Loughlen Hall and walking to class in Plassmann and I saw this squirrel eating an apple,” Duncan said. “As I walked by, it just sort of stared at me.”
This affair was an odd sight, according to Duncan, but she continued on her way not thinking much more of it.
“Then I noticed that it came up beside me in the grass as I was walking on the sidewalk, and I thought that it was getting really close for a squirrel,” she said.
Duncan said she remembered hearing how the Bonaventure squirrels are. It’s no secret that they are unaware of the concept of personal space. Duncan continued to walk, but as she continued, so did the squirrel. When she stopped, the squirrel stopped.
Perhaps the skunks and squirrels have a running tally of how many awkward run-ins they can generate each day.
The squirrel that Kelly Hill, a junior marketing major, ran into must be a player in that game.
“I was walking to a meeting Sunday night when it was just getting dark,” Hill said. “I was by Murphy, and this squirrel was just walking around kind of zig-zagging on the path.”
Hill started walking slower to avoid the squirrel, but a girl coming from the other direction startled the squirrel, further feeding the fire.
“The thing started running towards me head-on, so needless to say, I sprinted the other way behind the building and around the side because I was not about to cross paths with that thing again,” Hill said.
These squirrels aren’t just friendly, they’re daring.
How the wildlife on campus became so relaxed around the Bonaventure community is unclear, but they sure do make for some entertaining stories.
