A $75,000 reward is being offered by Canadian mink producers for information regarding the overnight release of 1,500 nursing female mink from a farm just east of St. Marys. The incident occurred this past weekend, and those behind the reward, including the Canadian Mink Breeders Association, say they hope it will lead to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
According to Perth OPP, who are investigating the incident as a break and enter alongside the Perth County Crime Unit, the release happened sometime between 6 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday at a mink farm on Perth Line 9.
OPP investigators say those involved entered onto the farm, cut out a section of the chain link perimeter fence, entered the barn area, and opened the pens that housed the nursing female mink.
Media reports say a driver passing by the farm the next morning noticed some mink roaming on the property and alerted someone related to the farm’s owner.
According to an OPP release on Tuesday, around 1000 of the animals were located by farm employees, but around 600 mink were still missing. The replacement costs were anticipated to exceed $200,000.
A media release issued Thursday by the Fur Council of Canada said around 50 mink that left the farm died either by exposure or by passing vehicles. The release stated 80 mink that were rescued later died, and that more deaths were anticipated.
The weather overnight on Saturday was cold and rainy, and the nursing baby mink, or kits, that remained in the cages were not expected to survive.
According to Kirk Rankin, president of the Canada Mink Breeders Association, the kits, which numbered 4 to 5 for each mink, are dependent on their mothers for food and warmth. He says the release puts the kits at risk of hypothermia and dehydration.
While OPP are continuing to determine who committed incident, the mink farm’s owner says he believes it was carried out by animal welfare extremists.
“We know there is a small segment of extremists who want to put us out of business, but, honestly, we would never have thought anyone could be so ignorant or heartless as to separate mothers from their nursing young,” said Jeff Richardson, the farm’s owner, in the Fur Council’s media release.
“Although many of the mink were recovered, there is no way to know which litters belong to which females, so only time will tell how many will accept and care for these helpless young kits.”
Richardson says Saturday was known as a day of action among North American activists to fight against the use of animals in anything from food to clothing.
OPP are continuing to investigate, and anyone with information is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.