Deaf pet skunk missing after garden escape

Brown and white skunk Sky has been missing since Friday

The owner of a missing deaf pet skunk is appealing for help to find her.

Sky, who has brown and white stripes, escaped from the back garden of her home in Purewell, Christchurch, Dorset, on Friday night.

Owner Sharon Tyler, who described seven-year-old Sky as elderly, said she was "not dangerous but will be petrified".

Ms Tyler has appealed on social media for help finding her microchipped pet but said she was struggling for information as "a lot of people think it's a prank".

Sky's owner said she would likely be curled up asleep during the day and looking for food at night

She has asked residents in the area to check their sheds and gardens and hopes someone with a thermal drone might come forward.

She said: "She'll be curled up and asleep during the day but as soon as it gets dark she'll be out looking for food."

Because Sky cannot hear and will be scared, Ms Tyler said she will probably run and could spray, although she added she had only sprayed once when she was young.

The nocturnal creature would come out to eat her favourite foods; raw chicken, cottage cheese and peppers, Ms Tyler said.

Any sightings of Sky, who is about the size of a large cat, should be reported to the Animals Lost Found Needing Help Dorset Facebook group.

According to the British Pest Control Association, it is legal to keep skunks as pets in the UK, however, it is illegal to have the scent glands removed.

Skunks spray to deter predators. The pungent liquid causes no real damage but the rotten egg smell can linger for many days.