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Caddie” by Tomahawk (see Figure 9-5), but be very careful attaching it to the trap.Throw the heavy blanket over the trap first, before attaching the Caddie (go towww.livetrap.com for this product).After releasing the raccoon, clean the trap thoroughly, wearing protective gloves,before using it again. Be extra cautious if you see blood or saliva in the trap and don’ttouch any with your bare hands. In warm conditions, the rabies virus can live for amatter of seconds or minutes outside the host’s body. In much colder temperatures, thelife span of the virus may be considerably longer. The virus can also survive for a matterof days in an animal that is deceased.• SkunksLike raccoons, skunks are vector speciesand may be carrying rabies and everyprecaution must be made to avoid a scratchor bite. The more immediate danger thoughis the extremely noxious spray thatfrightened skunks emit from their analglands. Fortunately, they’re not as triggerhappyas many people fear and rarely spraysomething they can’t see. To avoid gettingsprayed, you’ll need to cover the trap with aheavy blanket before releasing the skunk(it’s important the blanket is heavy, so it canbe thrown more easily). Calmly approachthe trap and throw the blanket over it from as far a distance as you can. Then step backand wait a moment. If all appears well, quickly open the rear door and move away.Keep in mind that skunks don’t see very well so if you act quickly, you should beokay. If the skunk starts stamping his feet, run for the hills! He’s warning you he’s aboutto spray if you don’t back off.• OpossumsOpossums are very gentle, almostentirely nocturnal animals and pose littlethreat. They have very poor eyesight,especially in daylight, so when releasingthem, carry the trap first to a nearby tree orwooded area. That way they can find a placeto climb and hide quickly and not becomefrightened and search around blindly. Coverthe trap with a heavy blanket before liftingand avoid rubbing up against the side of thetrap as you carry it. Step back after openingthe rear door.photo: Keith Vyse90