Animal activists face 'domestic terrorism' charge in freeing 5,740 minks

[NickB79]

26. These were domesticated weasels, bred their entire lives in captivity

It would be akin to releasing house cats into the wild; some will survive and turn feral, but many will die.

And even in mild environments where they have the best ability to survive, that survival typically endangers the local wildlife: http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/minks.asp

In what must have seemed like a brilliant idea at the time, British animal-rights activists sneaked onto the grounds of a mink farm here during the weekend, cut through wire fences and gave 6,500 minks their freedom instead of a future as fur coats.

But the illegal act has backfired as few British animal-liberation missions ever have. Released into the rich countryside of England's southern coast, the thousands of minks have gone on a rampage driven by insatiable hunger and equally insatiable mink-like curiosity.

Domestic pets and farm animals — including cats, hamsters, chickens, guinea pigs and hens — have been pursued and killed. Wild animals — including the endangered water vole, a type of water rat — are under attack. Local fisheries are threatened.

And local residents, including the owners of a wild bird sanctuary where three birds were killed in mink attacks Sunday and Monday, have taken up arms. One of the dead birds was a beloved, 14-year-old kestrel named Spitfire who made countless educational trips to local schools.