Pest Problem

About American Mink

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Identification

In its truly wild native form, the mink has a rich glossy coat which is dark brown.  However, farm bred mink can vary from white to almost black and this is therefore reflected in the mink seen in the wild in the UK - so colour variation can be considerable.  The lower jaw is a distinct white and is particularly obvious when the animal is in its true native form.

History, distribution and habits

The American Mink is not native to the UK (there is a European Mink but these are not found anywhere in the UK), having first been brought to the UK in the 1920s for fur farms.  Over the decades, some individuals escaped, some were released when fur farms went out of the business, and others were released by animal activists.  The result has been that mink are now widespread across the UK (though largely absent from the Lake District and mountains in Scotland and Wales) and are reportedly responsible for the decline in some of our native species of bird and mammal, most notably the water vole. 

Habitat is always around water and mink will never be found far from river banks, lakes and marshes.  Not surprisingly then, they are very good swimmers.  They are also very territorial and males will not tolerate another mail in their territory, which can extend to several miles (thin and narrow in order to keep close to water). 

Mink feed on a wide range of prey such as fish, small mammals up to rabbit size, and birds.

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