This is an American Mink, not to be confused with the European Mink. Their are often are strong reactions to the Mink, many feeling that they should be shot on sight. In the United Kingdom Mink have destroyed much of the wildlife, however what most don’t understand it is mans interference that has caused this problem – not the Mink.

The preferred diet of the Mink is fish and eel and water snakes. During the years when Mink fur was the fashion, man started up Mink farms and breeding them for the price their fur brought. This farms existed in large numbers throughout Europe and Great Britain. When environment agencies stepped in, many of this farms were simply abandoned and the domestic Mink forged out in to the wild in large numbers. There was not enough of their preferred diet to sustain such a large population and the Mink began to have an enormous impact on all forms wildlife. Otherwise put, Nature was sent out of balance.

Here is the Carolina’s on the east coast of the United States, Mink were all but hunted out (not unlike our Ivory Billed Woodpeckers which are now thought to be extinct) for their much sought after fur. It was only 3 years ago that South Carolina re-introduced the American Mink and their numbers are slowly building.

Photo taken in the wild at Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, USA.

Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: Nikon 70 – 300mm Full Zoom
ISO: 400

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