Loading ...American Mink – Threat to Thames Wildlife
The Oxford Mail have reported that the North American mink, a real threat to UK wildlife, has been spotted on the River Thames at Abingdon.
Having been brought to Britain for the fur trade many either escaped or were set free into our foreign environment by animal rights activists.
These mink have no natural predators in the UK and were spotted in the area of the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Water Vole Recovery Project.
The mink were spotted by Peter Darch while he was repairing a barge near Abingdon Lock and reported the encounter to the Environment Agency.
He said: “As I was casting off, I saw a little flash and I took a closer look and there was this little nose looking at me. I opened up the barge hatch and there were at least half- a-dozen black mink inside.”
Mr Darch added: “They’re one of the most vicious predators that we have got – they kill just for the sake of killing.”
Environment Agency spokesman Emma Sears said “The priority for mink control are those areas which are deemed to have good water vole populations. The project relies on volunteer effort for mink control, mainly by keepers and landowners who can undertake control in the required way.
“We see the need to control mink as an unfortunate consequence of their introduction by man and they should be dealt with as humanely as any other mammal and not demonised for doing what comes naturally.”
Graham Scholey, the vole project’s conservation team leader said “There’s still a way to go, because mink are widespread. It’s a big challenge to try to reduce their numbers substantially.”
It is always unfortunate when wildlife has to be controlled but when we humans play god and introduce species not native to our shores, often with no natural predators to control their numbers, we affect the balance of our natural wildlife.
The only way to readdress the balance is to remove the species not native to the UK and provide healthy environments for our own wlidlife species to recover.
March 7th, 2010 at 9:13 am
We have something living in our boathouse at Henley on Thames. Hoped it was an otter – but fear a mink. Very smelly poo, and paw prints like a big cat.