Polecat Ferret or Mink?

[scott tilley]

Hi All, thanks for your responses. Website has been amended accordingly. Have to say I don't really want to get embroiled in a debate about the mink being in this country. From my point of view, at the time it was a fantastic wildlife experience.

I do beleive their main effect on wildlife has been the reduction in water vole populations, however, if we have otters in the area we have water voles but no mink. Hopefully, if we can continue to increase the otter population the balance can be restored

Once again. Thanks for your assistance.

Scott

[valleyforge]

Good call Scott.

That really is a suberb photograph ... just noticed he/she seems to have a white mitt on the right forepaw ... quite distinctive.

[scott tilley]

Originally Posted by valleyforge

Good call Scott.

That really is a suberb photograph ... just noticed he/she seems to have a white mitt on the right forepaw ... quite distinctive.

Hi, image looks loads better in high resolution. The white paw was one of the reasons we could not positively I.D. There is a picture of the kit that this mother was protecting on my website. We where holidaying at Lochbuie on Mull and our dog was going ballistic at a huge rock on the shoreline. I put her on a lead and moved her away and this mother and youngster where underneath. I basically sat ten yards away with the camera and she proceeded to lead the kit away. She actually appraoched within a few feet at one point. A magic experience!

Had a look at your refuge website and agree with your philosophy.

Scott

[The Woodman]

Also an unusually pigmented rhinarium.

[valleyforge]

I 'nose' what you mean (but had to look it up to be sure) ...

[valleyforge]

Hi Scott,

A magic moment indeed!

Thanks for comment on our website ... I'd like to see the kit, can you post the photo, or PM me with a note of your website URL?

[Bullseye]

North American mink are a problem,not just to waterlife,I've seen them climbing trees as well,have had many encounters with them.How about the reintroduction of the European mink that was found here once?.

[vole-woman]

How long ago was the European mink around? What caused its demise?

[The Woodman]

As far as I'm aware, the European Mink Mustela lutreola has never been in Britain. They are native in France (resticted the south west), eastern Europe and Finland into Russia. They look very much like the American Mink Mustela vison which has been with us since around 1929 as escapees and releases from Mink farms.

There are no Mink farms operating now but the legacy of fur farming remains with us and the Mink is the only alien non-domesticated carnivore to establish itself in Britain.

The first Mink to be killed by Otterhounds was near Kendal in 1967. Between the cessation of Otter hunting and the ban on hunting mammals, Otterhound packs "converted" to mink hunting.

[vole-woman]

Thanks for the info, Woodman.