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It was hard to tell how long the skunk had been running in circles, but it appeared tired. Gordon hasn’t had much experience in wildlife rescue, but he wanted to help.

First, he dropped the key ring that he keeps on his belt so he wouldn’t give away his location by sound. His plan was to remove the juice box as quickly as possible, while keeping himself away from the business end of a distressed skunk. He waited until the skunk headed in his direction, then tried to pull off the juice box as the skunk passed. It worked on the third attempt.

Gordon said the juice box-free skunk stared at him, then walked toward a nearby field. Gordon, meanwhile, beat a retreat to the front entrance of the school.

Photo by Wayne Cuddington / Postmedia

Gordon had been taking video with his cellphone, and posted it on Friday afternoon, but John Young principal Heather Graham didn’t see it until Monday. There was no one else at the school to see the deed.

“It was really brave. He has gone above-and-beyond,” said Graham, who has already sent a note of commendation to the school’s superintendent.

“Josh is an awesome custodian. The place is spic and span, and I’ve already been admiring the great work he does here,” she said. “I’m a huge wildlife fan. Often, we get animals that get into buildings, and we try to get rid of them in a peaceful way. This little beast was in immediate need.”

Skunks are most active at dusk and dawn, said naturalist and nature photographer Michael Runtz. They are omnivores and eat insects, eggs and small rodents, but they also scavenge. Skunks are especially active as the weather gets colder so they can store up fat for the winter. They don’t hibernate, but fall into a torpid state over the winter.