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Yet another alert, 3000 Mink on the loose Dordogne


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According to the son of the farm owner who is, oddly enough, at school with my daughter, 5000 were released and 4500 have been recaptured. I did see one the other day. They are quite brave, but look a little lost. There seem to be quite a lot being killed on the roads around here and our local shop owner found one in her garden two days ago. We are over eight miles from St Cybranet.

Anyone coming onto contact with these mink should immediately contact the Mairie, Pompiers or Gendarmerie. Mink can be nasty. Especially hungry ones.

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I live nearby too...Our cat went missing last night and we have seen 5 of these Mink's close to the house.  I phoned the owner and told her of our predicament and could they come now as my husband was holding them 'Captive' her reply - No we are eating our lunch - I have no sympathy at the moment with the thought of my cat that  may have been taken or eaten by one and she could'nt be bothered to put down her knife and fork to come and retrive some of her/their livelyhood, our Mayor was alot more sympathetic and came immediately.  I told the person (the owner of the mink farm) concerned I would get a local farmer to shoot them - I was told you have no right...Did the Mink have a right to take my cat???
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[quote user="Pierre ZFP"]

Did they escape or were they released?

I only ask because many years ago animal rights activists famously 'liberated' many mink from a farm on the Romney Marsh in Kent.  I'm not sure the wildlife has recovered yet as mink are very efficient and vicious predators

[/quote]

I lived there for 10 years, didn't even know there was a mink farm there.

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I lived nearby - I think the mink farm was in Sellindge, and not down on the marsh, and shortly afterwards we had a couple of mink in our garden. I saw them - attractive looking animals, but they still killed our ducks. It was certainly convenient to blame animal rights activists - I am not sure that any group actually claimed to be responsible. But it may just have been poor security. If they are hard to keep out of your garden, they are presumably equally (more?) difficult to keep penned in (and in cramped conditions too).

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I think we should keep this thread going.  I am so sorry for folk who have lost animals to these things. It is yet another lesson in why we shouldn't keep none native species - under any conditions.  These poor animals shouldn't have been there in the first place.  Does anyone know how many have been recaptured?

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I understand what you are trying to say DD but I wish it were that simple.

A few non-english species and sub-species you might like to consider:

1.  Rabbits - supposed imported by the Romans

2.  Pheasants - Romans or Normans

3.  Hens - originally from SE Asia

4.  Collar doves - Indian

and if we then get into breeds......................

Texel sheep

Limousin Cattle

Fresians

 

the list goes on and on

 

 

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I read in yesterday's Sudouest that they are now employing specialist trappers to try to get the last ones. Apparently there are about 300 wild European mink in the Dordogne and they are anxious for their continued survival.

I'm sure I heard somewhere that there are over 100 introduced species in the UK.

Hoddy
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