Thousands of mink are on the loose in Northumberland County after someone cut holes in a fur farm’s fence and opened their pens over the weekend, according to a state police report.
Between 6,000 and 8,000 mink escaped from the Richard H. Stahl Sons Inc. fur farm in Rockefeller Township. The farm owners told state police that the fence was vandalized between midnight and 6:50 a.m. on Sunday.
State police did not a respond to an email seeking additional information but they said in the report that state agencies and farm staff are searching for the mink.
Joseph Buddenberg, who described himself as a former member of the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and a current press officer with the North American Animal Liberation press office, offered to speak to the media and said the act was “certainly consistent” with the ALF, which opposes the exploitation and abuse of animals.
ALF, which the FBI labels an extremist group, most recently claimed responsibility for releasing 3,000 mink from a Wisconsin farm last month. Last year, approximately 25,000 to 40,000 mink were released from a fur farm in Ohio and the perpetrators left spray-painted graffiti saying, “ALF” and “We’ll be back.”
Buddenberg, who spent two years in federal prison for a cross-country spree in which he and a partner released mink from fur farms and vandalized equipment, said he had no confirmation yet of ALF’s involvement, though.
Mink are wild animals that roam up to 5 miles a day but are kept in 10-inch cages on fur farms, Buddenberg said, describing their treatment as “egregiously cruel and violent.”
The mink, he said, are born in February or March and are killed in November for their fur, leading a “miserable existence” for eight to nine months. “At least now they have a fighting chance at life,” he said.
“They face a 100 percent death rate if they stayed on the farm,” Buddenberg said.
Sunbury resident Cassie Marks, though, is not celebrating the escape. A pet groomer who also volunteers with a cat rescue organization, Marks has joined others in setting traps for the mink since Sunday night.
Marks, who opposes fur farming, has posted videos on her Facebook page showing dead mink that have been struck by vehicles, and she argues that releasing thousands of them could throw the regional environment into chaos.
The escaped mink, she said, are domesticated and not native animals, and they do not have the muscle development to run like a wild animal so they can’t hunt or escape predators. So far, she said that more than a dozen mink have been killed by vehicles.
“It’s a joke to say they have better odds outside than in,” Marks said on Monday.
She encouraged those against fur farming to speak out and convince family and friends to not buy mink coats or eyelashes rather than send clueless animals into the wild.
“Do it the right way,” said Marks, “don’t do it the cruel way.”
Pennsylvania Game Commission Lt. Aaron Morrow said agency workers are on site and he would expect the mink to be able to survive in the wild, outside of being killed by predators or vehicles.
“I have no other reason to think they can’t survive,” he said.
Morrow, like Marks, urged anyone who comes across mink to not approach them or try and grab them because they will bite. Any trapped mink, he said, can be taken to the Sunbury Animal Hospital, which issued a statement to ABC27.
“Over the weekend an unknown number of mink got out of a fur farm in our area. There are mink all over the area surrounding the animal hospital. These animals should not be approached as they can be aggressive. They are not pets, and should not be taken in a home or to a rescue. If one of these minks were to approach you get far away from it. Keep all pets inside if possible. Monitor your pets when they are outside. If anyone would like to help out and set traps to try and catch theses minks the farmer would appreciate it. Captured mink can be brought to the animal hospital and we will be sure they are safely returned. Again do not approach theses animals or try to catch them by hand.”
Multiple state agencies and farm staff are currently working on recovering the escaped minks.
PSP Stonington is investigating the incident. Anyone with information is being asked to contact them at 570-286-5601.
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