By james art 
BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPRUD) — The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is asking for help tracking down the eastern spotted skunk, an animal that hasn’t been seen in the state in nearly 40 years.
The agency said this species of skunk was once common but is now rare in the state of Louisiana in a social media post. Wildlife agents want to track the animal to learn more about it.
“There has been no confirmed sighting of the eastern spotted skunk in Louisiana since 1985,” according to LDWF spokesman Robert Eales.
People can report any sightings, including roadkill, game cameras or bycatch from fur trapping, according to the LDWF.
The eastern spotted skunk should not be confused with the striped skunk. The Eastern Spotted Skunk has an upside-down triangle on its forehead and a narrow white stripe below the eye. Two stripes run diagonally across each flank, and his bushy tail is white below and on top.
The pictures below show what the Eastern Spotted Skunk and the Striped Skunk look like.
To report an eastern spotted skunk sighting in Louisiana, people are directed by the state wildlife agency to the iNaturalist reporting webpage or smartphone app.
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