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Upper Manhattan Residents Say Skunks Are Stinking Up Neighborhood

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Something stinks in upper Manhattan.

Residents claim skunks have invaded Inwood and Washington Heights, roaming the streets surrounding Fort Tryon Park and stinking up the neighborhood.

"I tell my friends down in midtown or Hells Kitchen that there's a skunk problem up here and they don't believe it," resident Mark Bailey said. "They're in front of every building...they're not just in the parks, they're all over."

Skunks Stink Up Upper Manhattan

"As far as I am concerned, one is too many," resident Aaron Frischberg said. "When the windows are open there is a distinct odor of polecat 'juice.'"

"I haven't seen them, but I smell them all over the place," deliveryman Hector Valentin said. "It's actually not scary, but stinky."

1010 WINS' Steve Sandberg went on skunk patrol Friday morning and saw one of the smelly striped critters rummaging through the trash outside Frank's Market on West 187th Street.

Cindy Marchionda said a family of skunks lives in her building.

"Papa skunk is as fat as can be and has all of his baby skunks," Marchionda said. "They're not scared at all, they're domesticated."

Residents said they have issued complaints with the city, but a parks department spokesman told the Daily News they won't get involved unless the skunk is rabid, meaning park rangers or Animal Care and Control will typically get the call.

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