Mink out of style with wildlife chiefs
The offenders on this side of the Atlantic are fairly reclusive, only make fleeting appearances to dine on our finest fare and wear the finest fur when heading out to dinner.
The American mink was brought to Ireland in 1951 to cater to the demand for fur coats and were bred on up to 40 farms, each containing 70 animals.
Unfortunately, the creatures were more wily than their owners and by 1960 large numbers had escaped into the wild.
Then, when it became obvious that wearing them as coats and muffs was an unacceptable fashion statement, most of the farms simply let the animals go rather than kill them en masse. The result has been a population explosion which the Department of the Environment’s National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) vows to arrest.
The department is stepping in because, as it puts it: “Of particular concern in recent years has been the perceived impact of mink predation on rare and vulnerable ground nesting birds such as ducks, gulls, terns and red-throated divers.”
A mink needs to eat about a third of its body weight every day in order to maintain body heat and that means consuming a lot of birds. Lightning-fast reactions and sharp teeth mean the creatures are expert killing machines.
There may have been lots of efforts at stopping what many saw as the barbaric skinning of the animals for the sake of a coat. Now however, their own killing prowess has put a bounty back on their heads. The NPWS has launched a tender process for anyone with any ideas on, as it puts it, mink control. The successful candidate must come up with a cunning plan which “emphasises conservation of ground-nesting birds”.
It does not state what methods of control are welcome. The only certainty is Bush will not be enough to protect these Americans.
