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Last weekend members of the Animal Liberation Front attacked a fur farm in near Ringwood, England. The activists freed about 6,000 Mink and released them into the surrounding area.
Unfortunately the mink were released into an area called The New Forest, a wetland which was listed as one of the world’s 900 most important wetland areas at the Rio Earth Summit a few years ago. Since mink are extremely efficient predators, much of the wildlife at this environmentally sensitive site has been put in danger by these terrorists who claim to be looking out for animals.
As Howard Taylor, a forest-keeper in the area, told Agence-France, "The mink is at the top of the food chain. They are not fussy about what they eat - birds, eggs, small mammals, fish, anything ... Whoever let these animals out, if they think of themselves as environmental warriors they should have thought of the environmental consequences of releasing such a vicious predator into such a delicate ecosystem."
Terrence Smith, the owner of the fur farm that was attacked, told BBC News, "It is an act of gross stupidity that has not only harmed the welfare of these animals, but also endangered other local wildlife and put the public at risk."
Meanwhile, local farmers are busy shooting the mink, with those who escape that fate almost certainly doomed to starve to death. Chalk another "victory" up for animal rights extremists.
Sources:
Wildlife disaster anticipated as 6,000 mink set free. Agence-France, August 9, 1998.
Mink terrorise Hampshire after farm release. BBC News Online, August 8, 1998.
Mink run wild after attack on fur farm. Macer Hall, Electronic Telegraph, August 9, 1998.