Vandals release 10,000 carnivorous minks from a fur farm into the wild

About 10,000 mink escaped from a fur farm after vandals smashed enclosures on Tuesday morning (Picture: AP)

Tens of thousands of mink escaped into the wild after vandals smashed enclosures at a fur farm on Tuesday.

Lion Farms USA in Van Wert County, Ohio experienced a break-in early Tuesday morning.

The farm initially reported the cages of 25,000 to 40,000 mink were destroyed, workers were able to corral tens of thousands back into their pens. About 10,000 mink remain unaccounted for, the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office stated.

‘Minks are carnivorous mammals that stick to a diet consisting of fresh kills,’ the Sheriff’s Office stated. ‘They regularly hunt prey bigger than themselves. As a result, they can be a bothersome pest for homeowners, livestock owners, and property managers.’

Domesticated mink can decimate local wildlife, livestock, and pets (Picture: via REUTERS)

Mink have been known to attack domestic poultry, including chickens and turkey, as well as outdoor pet fish such as ornamental koi.

They can also wreak havoc on local ecosystems, by attacking ground nesting birds and competing with the region’s natural predators.

The mink that escaped are considered domesticated livestock, and they generally lack the skills to survive in the wild. Farm manager Eddie Meyer told WANE that he expects 95% of the escaped mink will die within a few days.

Mink can still pose a threat to humans and pets, and the Sheriff’s Office urged locals to call one of the county’s licensed trappers if a mink is spotted on their property.

Somewhere between 25,000 and 40,000 mink were located at the farm, but most of the animals stayed in their enclosures (Picture: Getty Images)

The break-in is currently under investigation by local authorities, the Sheriff’s Office confirmed. Few details about the investigation have been released so far, but the farm’s manager said the perpetrators left a message in the form of graffiti on the property.

Meyer told WANE that the burglars spray painted the letters ‘ALF’ and the message ‘we’ll be back’ on a wall close to the destroyed fence.

‘ALF’ might stand for ‘Animal Liberation Front,’ a group which has previously been labelled a domestic terrorism threat by the US Department of Homeland Security.

Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.