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Learning about misunderstood animals with Wild Encounters Watch as educator Kip Smith talked about animals that play an important ecological role in their environments and shared a prank with anchors Chinh Doan and José Zozaya. Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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YOU CAN TELL WE HAVE SOME VERY SPECIAL VISITORS TODAY, WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS IS DEDICATED TO EDUCTATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT WILD AND MISUNDERSTOOD ANIMALS. CHINH: AND WE DEFINITLY HAVE ONE OF THOSE TODAY. KIP WITH WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS IS HERE, IT’S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU. TELL US WHAT SPECIAL FRIENDS YOU BROUGHT? >> YOU HAVE TACO THE HEDGEHOG. HE’S AN AFRICAN HEDGEHOG, THIS IS AS BIG AS HE WILL GET. YOU CAN TELL BY HOLDING HIM AND HIS LITTLE SPIKES THAT’S HIS DEFENSE MECHANISM, HOW HE PROTECTS HIMSELF. IF YOU GET SCARED HE CURLS UP INTO A BALL AND THEY STICK THOSE SPIKES OUT AND IT MAKES IT HARDER FOR AN ANIMAL TO EAT HIM. CHINH: AND HE’S VERY FRIENDLY. >> HE’S CRUISING AROUND. JOSE: HE JUST WANTS TO ROAM FREE. >> HE WANTS TO EXPLORE, THEY HAVE A GREAT SENSE OF SMELL. IF THERE’S ANYTHING AROUND THEY TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS. JOSE: AND YOUR OTHER FRIEND? >> THIS IS OF COURSE A SKUNK, HIS NAME IS OREO. WE LIKE TO DO FOOD NAMES. JOSE: TALK TO US, WITH OREO, PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE A VERY HARSH MISCONCEPTION ABOUT SKUNKS. >> IT ANIMAL THAT PEOPLE THINK OF AS PESTS, PEOPLE WILL SAY THEY HATE SKUNKS BUT THEY PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE, THEY CLEAN UP A LOT OF THE FORESTS ON THE ROADS. THEY HAVE VERY BAD EYESIGHT BUT A GOOD SENSE OF SMELL AND EAT A LOT OF BUGS TREAT SO AS WE DRIVE CARS WE HIT BUGS AND THEY TRY TO EAT THEM AND THAT’S WHEN THEY GET HIT. THEY CAN ALSO CONTROL RATTLESNAKE POPULATIONS. RATTLESNAKES ARE IMPORTANT BUT SKUNKS WILL GO AFTER ND RATTLESNAKES AND THEY HAVE A NATURAL IMMUNE SYSTEM TO THE POISON. JOSE: DEPENDING ON YOUR IMPRESSIONS OF ANIMALS, BUT SKUNKS HAVE -- CHINH: DO YOU WANT TO HOLD? >> IF HIS TAIL GOES OUT HE GETS A LITTLE SCARED AND HE MIGHT SPRAY. [LAUGHTER] JOSE: HAS THAT HAPPENED? >> NO NO, IT’S JUST WATER. CHINH: COTCHA! WELCOME TO THE TEAM. MICE JOB. JOSE: TIME-OUT, IF ETTORE HAPPENS TO ANYONE IS NOT LIKE A HORRIBLE THING, 8 -- IF THAT HAPPENS TO ANYONE IT’S NOT A HORRIBLE THING, YOU CAN DO SOMETHING. >> IT SMELLS THROUGH A FEW WEEKS BUT THAT’S ABOUT IT. CHINH: BUT HIS REFLEXES CAME IN. JOSE: YOU ARE OK OREO. YOU GOT ME KIP. IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE WHERE CAN THEY GO? >> WE’RE ON INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK AND THAT OUR WEBSITE. JOSE: THAT WOKE ME OUT. AND IF YOU MISSED ANYTHING OR YOU’RE LOOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION WE HAD THIS INTERVIEW POSTED ONLINE AT KETV.COM. CHINH: BACK IN A MOMENT