The owner of the mink farm in the northwest Ohio township of Hoaglin had told the sheriff’s office that someone broke into the farm Tuesday and opened cages. A total of between 25,000 and 40,000 animals were housed there. Farm workers were able to recapture most of the mink, but regarding 10,000 mink are still missing.
Countless animals have been roaming the area ever since. They overran nearby roads, and many were hit by vehicles and killed. Numerous bodies have already been recovered from a freeway near the farm, Sheriff Thomas Riggenbach told the New York Times.
Sheriff warns residents
Riggenbach advised residents not to catch the animals themselves. Although the small predators do not pose a risk of infection, they can attack pets such as rabbits, chickens or ducks, he warned. “I don’t want to encourage people to approach them and try to capture them themselves,” the sheriff said. If necessary, he advised contacting a trapper who has the necessary equipment and experience.
10,000 mink escaped from US farm
Around 10,000 mink escaped from a breeding farm in Ohio and are now roaming free. Several dead animals have already been recovered from a highway near the farm, the New York Times reported, citing authorities. According to the farm owner, someone had broken into the farm and opened cages.
People are also allowed to kill the mink if they find it on their property, Riggenbach said. According to local media in Van Wert County, where the incident occurred, amateur hunters are already following the animals. The newspaper “Delphos Herald”, for example, wrote that stray mink were shot at.
Expert expects high death toll
Ohio State University wildlife expert Mark Flint told the New York Times that mink only attack humans when they feel threatened. However, in large numbers in the wild, they might wreak havoc in the local environment. “These are domesticated animals that are fed, housed and cared for on a daily basis,” says Flint. Low temperatures and a lack of food might mean that many of the mink die.
Animal rights activists under suspicion
The sheriff said who released the mink is now being investigated. A manager of the farm suspects radical animal rights activists – a corresponding graffiti was left at the crime scene, reported the local news channel WPTA21. In the past, mink farms have been targeted by animal rights activists, it said. Van Wert County is a rural region with many farms. Mink fur is popular for fur coats.
There are at least 250 fur farms in 21 states in the United States, which collectively produce regarding three million pelts a year. According to the New York Times, a large proportion of its products are sold abroad because the domestic market for furs is small. Several luxury brands now do without the processing of real fur.
During the coronavirus pandemic, these farms have come under scrutiny from scientists concerned that coronavirus infections in mink might harbor the virus long-term or be a potential source of new variants. Congress is considering a ban on mink farming. The World Health Organization (WHO) currently sees no evidence of increased coronavirus risks from mink.
Denmark allows mink farming once more
In Denmark, 15 million mink were killed during the coronavirus pandemic and the breeding of the animals was banned. Only later did it turn out that the legal basis for this was missing. In a report, an independent commission had sharply criticized Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and parts of her government, which had made the decision to mass slaughter due to concerns regarding the coronavirus.
In July, Frederiksen apologized to the country’s mink farmers. Now the government wants to allow breeding once more on January 1, 2023. After the state health institute SSI classified the risk of a greatly reduced breeding for public health as low, it was decided to let a temporary ban on mink breeding expire at the end of the year, the Danish Ministry of Food announced. Before the mass slaughter, Denmark was one of the world’s leading producers of mink fur.
