About 10,000 Mink Are Running Loose in Northwest Ohio

[USALiberal]

Officials in northwest Ohio have cleared dead mink from a highway and are warning residents that the hungry animals could seek out their pets and livestock for meals, after some 10,000 of the sleek creatures escaped from a farm on Tuesday.

The owner of the Lion Farms USA mink farm in Hoaglin Township, which is about 150 miles north of Cincinnati and near Ohio’s border with Indiana, told the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday morning that someone had broken into the farm and opened cages that held somewhere between 25,000 to 40,000 mink.

More at https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/16/us/mink-farm-ohio-loose.amp.html

[Orrex]

1. This was a humane farm raising these animals to be pets, I presume?

[Phoenix61]

9. Yep, just like the cow, pig, goat, sheep, and chicken farms. nt

[Orrex]

16. I'm not aware of mink being raise as food animals--thanks!

I’ll have to look into that.

[Phoenix61]

18. They are raised to be killed and their remains used by humans.

What difference does it make what that use is? The animal is equally dead.

[Marcuse]

20. True

[Orrex]

23. I'll use that defense if ever I'm on trial for murder.

“They we’re going to die anyway, so what difference does it make? They’re equally dead.”

[Phoenix61]

26. Not a good analogy at all.

Being upset because an animal is raised for its fur while eating a hamburger is the ultimate hypocrisy. Ranks up there with leather wearing vegans.

[Orrex]

29. I'm sure that you see it that way.

Killing an animal for sustenance is very different from killing it for a vanity accessory of clothing.

It’s only hypocrisy if you assume outright that all purposes are equal, and if you do that then my murder defense analogy is 100% accurate.

[Phoenix61]

48. Your analogy is poor as humans aren't raised for food of hide.

Keeping warm is hardly vanity if you live in cold climate.

[Orrex]

53. We're those 10,000 mink earmarked for cold climate utility-wear?

Or were they destined to be luxury coats for the vain and entitled? If the former, and I are on the same page, though other cold-weather options certainly exist. If the latter, then I’ll hardly weep if someone has to do without a new stole this season.

[Phoenix61]

71. We're any of the millions of animals slaughter every year

for food marked for those allergic to meat alternatives? Of course not. The starvation caused because some are so vain they have to have a filet mignon is way beyond the affront to your senses caused by someone wearing a mink stole.

[Orrex]

72. Tell you what: let's revisit when you've had a chance to clear your thoughts

Otherwise I can see where this will go, and it’s not productive.

[ForgedCrank]

75. I would

argue that there is absolutely no need in this age for animal fur. It is a luxury item at this point and nothing more. Hell, it's even ugly if you ask me. When I see it, all I see is a person with a dead animal wrapped around their body. Of course this is a subjective opinion.
Synthetics and other modern textiles are just as good (and much better in many cases) than animal fur for this purpose. They just doesn't send the "look at me I'm rich" message that a fur wearer may wish to project.
The honest case is that animal fur is not a need for anyone at this point. It's a luxury item and only serves a role in a persons vanity.
I may be more accepting of the practice if we were using fur from animals that were slaughtered for food, but that's simply not the case as is with leather.

[Phoenix61]

77. Beef and pork are also luxury items. There's no need to eat them at this point.

When I see someone eating a burger or pork chop all I see is someone shoving a dead animal into their mouth. I’d feel better if the animals they were eating had died of old age.

[Coventina]

78. As a vegetarian, I 100% agree. It is morally reprehensible.

I wish more people agreed with me.

[Phoenix61]

80. I just find it comical when people get their knickers in a

twist over farming mink while chowing down on a burger. We eat cows here. Someone in India would never do that. Meanwhile the Chinese have a history of eating dogs, something we find horrible.

[Coventina]

81. I despise people who wear fur. Absolutely despise them.

I'm against eating meat, I think it's a horrible practice that one day will be looked back at in horror, much as we do human sacrifice.

Wearing fur, with our current technology, is basically advertising yourself as an asshole.
"I'm cruel and PROUD OF IT!"

[ForgedCrank]

82. Well, I

was trying give an honest and rational opinion. For all you know, I may also be a vegetarian.
My point is still the same.

[jcgoldie]

27. Thats exactly what my Trump humping neighbor said about covid

All those people were dying anyway.

[Orrex]

30. I agree that the reasoning is preposterous

That was kind of my point in fact.

[LeftInTX]

41. Because releasing them wrecks havoc on the environment

They aren't just gonna go back to their original habitat. It's like raising 10,000 racoons and turning them loose.

I'm sure laws were broken and this is not a good defense.

Yes, the mink would have been slaughtered for fur. But turned loose, they pose a risk to other animals such as small dogs, cats and chickens etc. They also pose a risk to other wildlife such as squirrels, rabbits etc.

Edit to add: Looks like some Animal Liberation Front did this...

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/11/15/ohio-mink-farm-40000-released-vandalism/10703554002/ The Animal Liberation Front, an animal rights group, has claimed that on Nov. 8 a member released 1,000 mink from a fur facility in Massillon, Ohio, about three hours east of Lion Farms, The Cincinnati Enquirer, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.

[electric_blue68]

55. Although w Racoons there'd at least be Some Funny Experiences, Along w the Havoc!

I'm NOT Advocating this!!! 😜

(know relatives, friends in areas with racoons even here in NYC)


These minks sound vicious!

[LeftInTX]

57. Raccoons can be vicious

Although, they are also excellent scavengers and rarely need to fight for food when coexisting with humans

[electric_blue68]

61. I Probably Know This in the Back of My Mind. In my circles it's...

been usually more annoying, and funny.

The Battle of Keeping Trash Cans closed, and secure mostly...
This happens mostly to single, double houses in the 5 Borroughs of NYC; and to apartment buildings vwhere there are big patches, even stretches of greenery not associated with parks, or gardens.
Apartment buildings, and even above ground subway platforms areas also by parks, gardens, and green stretches.

Of course, rabid racoons are some where between occasional, and rare around here So there's that to watch out for!

[LeftInTX]

76. I can't keep anything insecure in my backyard..LOL

I had a bucket of little supplies. I opened it up last week and forgot to close it. Now they're strewn the contents around. It consists of little tiny vials that I use for gardening. Those opposable thumbs allow them to evolve into our home life...grhh....I'm sure they had fun taking every last one of them out.

[electric_blue68]

84. Ohhh, boy...but I'm sure I actually did not know they had opposable thumbs...

Maybe I forget.
Well, no wonder then there's all kinds of mischief!

[GreenWave]

2. Someone broke into the farm, unlocked cages of upwards of 40,000 hungry mink

and they did not devour that someone? Why were they hungry? How do they know they were hungry?

[eShirl]

4. because they haven't been fed since Tuesday

[GreenWave]

5. Thanks!

[Hugh_Lebowski]

7. Because they're like 2 lbs each, and they're not pack hunters like wolves

Or perhaps a better comp would be piranhas given the size factor.

They don't attack humans in a 'you're my prey' kind of sense, though they'd certainly bite you if cornered.

[Genki Hikari]

68. Minks, weasels and the rest of that neck of the mammal family

Are always hungry.

They're small, and their metabolism is through the roof. They need to eat around 35-40% of their body weight every single day. For an idea of how much food that is, a 180 pound man eating 35-40% of body weight would need to eat 65-70 pounds of food per day.

So a chicken is a day or two of food for them, at most.

[bucolic_frolic]

3. Sounds like an inside job

Would security be that poor?

[Hugh_Lebowski]

6. I detest the idea of mink farming, but this was still a damn reckless thing

for whoever did this ... to have done, just releasing them to the wild to fend for themselves.

Mink are voracious predators, and are prey themselves for many other creatures.

Per Wiki: In the UK, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is illegal to release mink into the wild.

Releasing 10,000 mink, esp. into one spot, willy-nilly like this was a very bad idea. They're going to be trapped and put to death in large numbers anyway, and they're going to kill a hell of a lot of native fauna along the way.

[Jade Fox]

10. This

[ok_cpu]

32. Aren't mink so aggressive that they sometimes kill just to kill vs for food?

At least that's what I've heard from family who raised chickens, etc. That mink will kill all of them but eat only a few.

[LeftInTX]

38. I noticed you mentioned the UK, but I bet this is also illegal in the US

As members of the weasel family and likely native to the US, I'm sure that this is illegal under our Wildlife Act and other laws. (Yes, they can be pains and are related to skunks, weasels, raccoons and badgers)

It is not illegal to raise bison for consumption. But it sure as heck would be illegal to raise them and turn them loose. I'm sure similar laws apply.

[Straw Man]

66. Absolutely.

Not only will they wreak havoc on local wildlife, but most of them will eventually die off after being released into a habitat that is insufficient to support them in those numbers.

Unless you believe that it's better for them to starve than to be put to death, then this is a stupid and reckless act. There are no winners here.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

67. Honestly it's cruel and stupid to the point that I'm just as suspicious of the farmer

as I am of PETA (or some similar outfit).

Maybe an insurance stunt, and way of getting back at the people who denigrate him for raising mink in the first place (which I'm sure happens a lot). Let 'em loose, pin it on eco-whackos, collect insurance.

Not saying thats what happened, but frankly I'd not be too surprised.

[Genki Hikari]

69. Not just a danger to the mink

But a danger to every other small animal in the vicinity. A lot of wild and domestic animals will end up dead from this idiotic stunt, including some endangered local species.

It was a profoundly stupid thing to do.

[Freethinker65]

8. "As God Is My Witness, I Thought Turkeys Could Fly"

WKRP

[Ligyron]

50. That was definitely one of their funniest episodes.

[electric_blue68]

56. Oh, Yes! 😄

[Marthe48]

11. Mink are common through out North America

except the South West. if the loose minks adapt quickly, any of those surviving will be in their natural environment, and play hell with small wild animals, such as rabbits, other rodents, domestic chickens, birds, and snakes, turtles and other reptiles.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

12. Spread these 10,000 across the country in a targeted, scientifically/ecologically sound fashion

That's one thing.

But suddenly release 10,000 of them from one spot?

Really bad idea, both for them, and as you say, many, many other local species.

There's also the matter of the fact they're probably raised in cages and likely don't have all the survival skills they should have.

[Marthe48]

14. This is an ecological bomb

The mink will suffer worse than in their captivity, and if even 10% survive in the wild, way too many, too fast for the local fauna to keep up with.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

19. I think a best-case scenario would be that most of these critters end up staying nearby the farm

Simply because that's the only place that they KNOW where the food is, esp food that's readily obtainable.

Then hopefully a lot of them can be trapped and returned to the owner.

I don't LIKE the idea of these wild animals being farmed, again, but this kinda stunt is a poorly thought-thru action that does way more harm than good.

[Genki Hikari]

70. This is so wrong it's epic wrong

Releasing that many mink into the local area will be devastating to wild and domestic animals in that vicinity. Including any endangered species there.

Mink have to eat a shocking amount of food, just to stay alive--35-40% of their body weight. Every. Single. Day. They are not picky about what they eat, and if an animal is even remotely within their power to take down, they will kill it. This includes, small dogs, kits, cats, rabbits, squirrels, birds (especially chickens), and so on. Any and all of them are now in danger in that area.

Worse, even those mink that don't get enough to eat will starve to death.

There are no winners here.

NONE.

[gibraltar72]

13. not that far from me probably 60 miles south.

Won't do as much damage as the wild boars Nugent left on his hunting preserve when he grew bored and left Michigan.

[electric_blue68]

59. Oh! Yikes!

[RobinA]

15. Mink

are major COVID vectors.

[electric_blue68]

62. Oh, Triple Yikes!

[Bantamfancier]

17. Don't kid yourself about them being unable to hunt.

Mink are the worst for those of us raising poultry.
Raccoons are bad enough but they have never wiped out a house full. I have had 2 flocks over the
Years wiped out overnight by mink. I leave nobody in outside pens anymore. Everyone gets buttoned up at night
Mink are efficient and methodical killers.
They can squeeze thru the hole in a chain link fence.
They kill everything in the house, usually with a bite right behind the head, then drag and stack up the birds.
I can’t imagine having a flock within 10 miles of this. It will be a slaughter until they can trap em.

[ok_cpu]

33. This answered my question upthread. Should have kept reading first

I thought I remembered my family who raised chickens saying mink would wipe out the entire house but not eat all of them.

[Bantamfancier]

37. It's interesting that you can tell what predators

are after your birds by how they attack.
Opossum will come in, kill one bird and eat it entirely, leaving just bones and skin. Just one, then come back in a couple days for another.
Raccoon will attack and kill all they can grab in a couple minutes, then drag one off. They will keep returning until you block however they’re getting in.
Hawks and owls usually just grab one and you only see the feathers left.
Fox and coyotes don’t normally enter the house, preferring to pick off birds outside. Again, all you see are a few feathers.

[LeftInTX]

45. Of the list, minks closest relatives are raccoons.

Living in Texas, I'm not familiar with mink. I'm an urban dweller, but raccoons are a problem (don't hear much about them killing, but their numbers are increasing exponentially and they are aggressive and will try to get into your house. However, much of this is due to their ability to "grasp" and "use their hands like humans" which fortunately minks can't do)

I've got plenty of possums, but their populations stays the same

Fox and coyotes are also not a population issue like raccoon's.

[jcgoldie]

65. If I find a bunch of feathers it usually means a dog

Dogs will shake them to death unlike coyotes and foxes so feathers go everYwhere. Hawks and owls eat the head off because they attack from above.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

43. But were those wild mink or ones raised on a farm in cages w/food provided for them?

Either way it's a disaster ... a bunch of starving mink with no survival skills, or they quickly revert to instinctual hunting habits and fan out and wreak havoc on the local ecology and smaller livestock like rabbits, chickens, etc. Betting they love them some baby waterfowl too.

Maybe if you released ... I dunno, 20 of them, to make your point.

But not friggin 10,000 of them.

Just a really dumb thing to do in my book.

[Genki Hikari]

73. Yep. Why henhouses and chicken coops exist.

Weasels were the worst, but raccoons, foxes and some dogs and cats were no better about preying on chickens. Cats would leave the eggs alone for the most part, but all of the others would go for eggs, too.

A neighbor had some kind of critter wipe out a bunch of his chickens, and their eggs, too, when he had too much to drink and didn't shut up his coop the right way for the night. Wife and kids were out of town for some reason, so he didn't hear the ruckus that had to go on when that coop got hit.

The gore was such that my grandfather said it had to be weasels. The other animals are more grab and go with one or maybe two birds. Weasels will just kill and kill.

[electric_blue68]

83. Thanks for being a farmer...

I have to get back out to our Green markets here in NYC.
(Sigh, Covid)

While mostly vegetable, fruit farmers, bakers, flower, plant growers, bee keepers w honey here, a few farmers raise chickens for eggs, one or two maybe cows for milk, butter, or cheese (and also bring items from other farmers in their area). The biggest Green Mrkt is in Union SQ, Manhattan.

The most unique at the time back in the early '00 when I lived in Brooklyn was one of the biggest ones outside of Prospect Park, and across the street from the beautiful Brooklyn Central Library.

These women ran, and managed a Sheep Farm with the full range from sheep to finished yarn, and yarn kits, and completed hats, gloves, scarves & shawls; with lamb chops in freezer on the side.

Their yarns were gorgeous!!!

And thanks you've given me the idea to check out for yarn vendors in our Green Markets for Later Spring & beyond!

[doc03]

21. Can't read article it's behind a paywall. I read yesterday there were 10000 minks released from

a facility near Massalin on the opposite side of the state. A two- or three-pound animal a threat to
livestock? Maybe chickens? Is this a separate incident or did the media report the wrong location.

[jcgoldie]

24. Minks are absolutely a threat to chickens

Especially destructive because they dont just kill one and drag it off like a raccoon or fox. They slit the throats of every bird in the coop and leave them lying there. And particularly a threat because they are related to weasels and can squeeze through very tiny opening. My neighbors had 2" hardware cloth (wire with 2" holes) on the door of their coop and big mink squeezed through and killed all of them birds.

[Bantamfancier]

35. Very true. They can

fit thru a hole the size of a quarter. If they get their head thru, it’s like their body turns liquid and they just ooze thru.

[ok_cpu]

34. Do you mean Massillon Ohio?

My neck of the woods in Stark County if so. I didn't see that.

[doc03]

39. I looked the story up from yesterday it said on November 8th that 1000 were released

by the same group in Massillon.
I swear yesterday it said the 10000 was in Massillon. I think they edited the story.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/11/15/ohio-mink-farm-40000-released-vandalism/10703554002/

[ok_cpu]

42. I did a Google search after I read your post and saw the same

One of the ledes definitely did say Massillon. I was just shocked that someone reported it was here and it wasn't all over our news. Lots of rural areas, family farms, and even folks that keep a half dozen hens for eggs around here. It would be a very big deal.

[doc03]

44. I found where I read it yesterday, it was a thread on DU

https://www.democraticunderground.com/11316220

In the third paragraph below the photo it tells about a release in Massillon. I apparently skipped over the paragraph over the photo.

[ok_cpu]

47. Wow. Thank you

I know of that farm and did not hear about there being a release there.

[LeftInTX]

46. Ugh...so it looks some Animal Liberation Front did this....

Those and the soup throwers in Europe...ugh....

Thanks for the article....

[jcgoldie]

22. And all those fucking weasels voted for JD Vance

[Orrex]

36. Well played.

:thumbs up:

[doc03]

51. That's a good one

[sl8]

25. 11/16 update - WANE video

https://www.wane.com/video/11-16-22-5pm-mink-update/8163859/

[electric_blue68]

28. What A Stupid "Action"! Releasing 10,000 of (as far as I think of) any animal...

would play havoc in the local area wth some decreasing ripple effect further out.
WTG ...🙄


I gave up wearing fur (small pieces on a outer clothing items) back in the '80s. But these are going have to trapped and killed.

Good luck

[leftyladyfrommo]

31. That happened when I lived in Salt Lake. I walked by

a mink farm every day. Then some activist group let them loose.

They all died if they weren't recaught. They have no idea how to survive on their own.

[LeftInTX]

40. Mink probably do. Maybe the habitat wasn't adequate in Salt Lake

They are native to the NE US.

Odds are they were probably caught and killed. It's like caging a bunch of skunks or raccoons and turning them lose.

[Coventina]

49. This never would have happened but for VANITY and GREED!!!

Fuck anyone who wears fur.

Seriously, fuck you.

[Doremus]

58. Ditto. nt

[Calculating]

63. Exactly

Haven't we as a species gotten beyond dressing ourselves in dead animals?

[Sky Jewels]

64. Agree!

Fuck fur wearers. I can't believe it's still a "thing."

[Just A Box Of Rain]

52. This is environmental terrorism.

Those responsible should serve maximum sentences in prison.

[Marcuse]

54. 'Scat

[flvegan]

60. 3rd raid this month.

The Final Nail resurfaced?

[phylny]

74. We see mink all the time running on the rip-rap on our shore of the lake.

Cute little stinkers. Of course, we don't have 10,000 of them.

[DenaliDemocrat]

79. Fucking PETA idiots

All those animals are doomed to die a slow painful death. They lack the skills to survive.

[llmart]

85. My anecdote about mink...

my grandfather's property abutted a mink farm and boy, did it ever stink when you got near the farm's property! This was back in the 50's. My grandfather was one of the original "live off the grid" people, though he did have electricity. No indoor plumbing though. We hated going over there unless it was summertime and we could stay outdoors.