I'm pretty sure when I was still in the UK, skunks to me were categorized alongside Bigfoot, Nessie and the Push-Me-Pull-You.
Now as a Michigan resident, I understand that the distinctive smell (which cannot be imagined prior to your first encounter, trust me) means watch for and swerve to avoid black-and-white roadkill ahead
sometimes I need a reminder of how exotic they used to seem.....;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7929425.stm