Ahh look at the otter shaped mink

Side Salad · #1 (**permalink**) 13-02-2008, 01:48 PM

I was on my lunch break today in Lewes, East Sussex and was standing on the bridge over the river and bold as anything next to the Brewery was a little mink swimming around with lots of people saying ahh look at the otter.

When I first saw a trail of bubbles going across the water I thought maybe, just maybe but when it appeared and climbed out it looked like a mink.

I didn't have the energy to correct them but for my eyes it was far too small for an otter, (and yes, I have seen them in the wild, up close and from a distance, and no, not in this area).

Has anyone else on this site seen mink in this area?

naturelover · #2 (**permalink**) 13-02-2008, 02:03 PM

Hi side salad,hope you enjoy your stay,do mink swim under water then ?

Side Salad · #3 (**permalink**) 13-02-2008, 02:11 PM

Hi

Yes they do swim underwater, they are excellent swimmers, and unfortunately for other local wildlife, excellent hunters of pretty much anything smaller than them that they fancy a taste of.

Salad

Kayleigh · #4 (**permalink**) 13-02-2008, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Side Salad

Hi

Yes they do swim underwater, they are excellent swimmers, and unfortunately for other local wildlife, excellent hunters of pretty much anything smaller than them that they fancy a taste of.

Salad

A bit like rats then, kill anything smaller than them selves..People don't know what damage they cause when they release these animals into the wild.

Side Salad · #5 (**permalink**) 13-02-2008, 04:57 PM

They are very bad news for things like water voles and a lot of wildfowl. A lot of people think they are fluffy cute things, but in terms of a killing machine they are a pretty good design.

I'm hoping a local otter will come along and sort the mink out, but fear there may be very few otters in this area.

shirl · #6 (**permalink**) 13-02-2008, 05:10 PM

They really can devastate a water vole population, be great if you could let your local wildlfie trust know, I know ours has a link to report your mink sightings etc.

Shirl