Ireland Hunting Down Thousands of Escaped Minks

Governor of the Bank of England Mervyn King delivers his Mansion House speech during The Lord Mayor of the City of London's annual Dinner to the Bankers and Merchants, Mansion House, London Thursday June 14, 2012. King say that an emergency bank lending scheme in an attempt to tackle a squeeze on credit is aimed at encouraging banks to increase their lending to the country's businesses, amid caution sparked by fears over the fate of the eurozone. (AP Photo/Rebecca Naden/PA) UNITED KINGDOM OUT / Rebecca Naden

The roads and rivers of northwest Ireland are suddenly lined with mink.

Managers at Anderson's Mink Farm said Wednesday that many of their cages and fences were cut and opened over the weekend, freeing an estimated 5,000 animals into the wilds of County Donegal. About 28,000 others declined the invitation to bolt for freedom.

More than 100 already have been recaptured by hunters using cage traps, while several hundred others have been run over and killed. Drivers have reported seeing groups of the farm-reared animals standing, dazzled by headlights, in the middle of busy roads.

One of the farm's directors, Connie Anderson, blamed animal rights activists for invading the farm in the early hours of Sunday. He declined to explain why it took the farm so long to raise the public alarm.

"These people are animal liberation terrorists and had no thought for the mink or for the damage that will be done to other wildlife in the area," Anderson said.

Agricultural authorities warned that the surviving minks could decimate local populations of salmon, rabbits and fowl.

Animal rights activists in Ireland have denied responsibility — but are praising whoever did it.

"We have nothing to do with it. However, I commend whoever risked their freedom to do this as these animals have a horrendous life," said Bernie Wright, spokeswoman for Ireland's Alliance for Animal Rights.

Last month, break-ins at two fur farms set more than 50,000 minks on the loose in northern Greece.

[FurFarmers]

For information on farming mink for natural fiber cold weather clothing, visit furcommission.com/video/index.htm

If you?re an omnivore (someone who wears and eats both plant and animal products, as most of us are, you?re feeding mink. See ?Super Duper Recyclers? and ?Producers, Consumers and Clothing Confusion? at furcommission.com/environ/index.html

[ouchitatom]

The people who did this had thier heart in the right place but with ignorance to the damage that will be done. I applaud them for thier actions and hope at the same time that the mass turn out doesn't cost the lives of too many other species.

[rwsmith29456]

Just dumping 5000 minks into the ecosystem is not a good solution.