A skunk has made a shock appearance in north London – thousands of miles from its usual habitat.
An early morning commuter was heard saying ‘f***’ as the black and white striped animal ran past her at a bus stop in Muswell Hill on Monday.
Lauren O’Hara, 34, who was on her way to her retail job, said she thought it was a cat at first.
But she ‘lost it’ when she realised it was a skunk, more commonly found in North and Central America.
‘I couldn’t believe it. The way it stopped at the bus stop, I thought it might be hopping on with me’, Lauren told The Sun.
Lauren revealed that she has named the skunk Pepé Le Pew, after the animated character in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series.
The sighting has left some people in the area worried that they could get sprayed.
When skunks feel threatened, they issue warning signs – normally stomping their feet and arching their backs while raising their tails.
If this doesn’t work, they can spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent from their anal glands.
The RSPCA has confirmed the creature was ‘definitely a skunk’.
People who come across it have been urged to report it to them.
A small number of striped skunks are thought to be living in the wild in Britain and sightings are rare.
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