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Why were laws protecting skunks first passed in New York in 1894?
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skunk
Striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis).
The first laws protecting skunks were passed in New York in 1894 as a direct result of appeals from hop growers.1
These farmers sought legal protection for the animals because skunks are highly beneficial to agriculture; they prey on insects that are harmful to crops and are efficient at destroying rats and mice that frequently infest farm buildings. By protecting the skunk, the state helped preserve a natural predator that provided significant value to the farming community.1