Baby mink rescued from Sonoma County backyard

A furry case of mistaken identity occurred this week after a Sonoma County resident discovered what they thought was a baby otter in their backyard.

Sonoma County Animal Services said its officers responded to the resident's call and discovered that the otter was actually a tiny baby American mink. Both minks and otters are mustelids, a family of carnivores that also includes badgers, weasels, and wolverines.

"This little cutie had wandered away from its riverbank home and was understandably confused to find itself in a yard with the resident dogs," the agency said in a Facebook post Tuesday.

The baby mink was placed in the care of Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue in Petaluma, which will care for the mink until it's ready to be safely released back into its natural environment.