Mink eradication

[ShinySideUp]

I like domesticated cats, useful things. Keeps the mice and rats at bay.

... birds and voles and moles and shrews, field mice, dormice, frogs, toads, basically anything that is small and moves. One thing they do not catch, and I'd be more forgiving if they did, is rats, cats don't catch rats, you need a dog for that, preferably a Jack Russell.

 

[sphexx]

I like domesticated cats, useful things. Keeps the mice and rats at bay.

That poses an interesting conundrum for the good burghers of Bradford on Avon who have banned lethal control of rodents:

Rat infestation to ‘overrun’ historic town after council BANS killing rodents

A HISTORIC town faces being “overrun” by a rat infestation after its council banned killing rodents. Poison traps have been outlawed in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire amid fears that they …

www.thesun.co.uk

Will they kill all the cats? And from the picture in the article it looks like good mink habitat!

Exactly what they do with all the live trapped rats will be interesting. I suspect they intend to release them to their “home” in the “countryside” where they “belong” .

Ive probably told this story before but I once met a chap on my nearby old railway path carrying a live trap with a mouse inside who was looking for somewhere “nice” to release it! I berated him for his cruelty to mice taking it from its natural habitat near his house and releasing it into a hostile environment .

 

[sphexx]

... birds and voles and moles and shrews, field mice, dormice, frogs, toads, basically anything that is small and moves. One thing they do not catch, and I'd be more forgiving if they did, is rats, cats don't catch rats, you need a dog for that, preferably a Jack Russell.

Bloody terriers. Mine has brought two pigeons into the house last week. For some reason* she hadn’t killed them though the first, young one, was nearly dead. The other, adult, was in good nick and spent the night hiding in my bedroom before I realised what the dog was trying to get at behind the furniture!

* It’s a bit odd as she does kill and eat them sometimes. I can only think it’s the result of my chastising her when she used to catch my ducks and chickens.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Although the dictionary defines vicious as deliberately cruel or violent,

That's the first definition Google throws up. There are others. Such as' dangerously aggressive'.

Definition of VICIOUS

dangerously aggressive : savage; marked by violence or ferocity : fierce; malicious, spiteful… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

 

[Cobra]

That's the first definition Google throws up. There are others. Such as' dangerously aggressive'.

Definition of VICIOUS

dangerously aggressive : savage; marked by violence or ferocity : fierce; malicious, spiteful… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

That's not what I found, but I'm not arguing with that definition.
Although its most likely presented as a definition of a vicious human.

 

[Nod]

And Curry apparently.

I know someone a few years ago that had a contract to clear feral cats from an area.
He used to skin and clean them and sell them to the local India takeaway, owners.
Apparently they look very similar to rabbits in that state.

So the joke many years ago about them eating cats wasn't entirely false.

In markets on Crete, the rabbits hanging in the cabinets have the feet left intact.

... birds and voles and moles and shrews, field mice, dormice, frogs, toads, basically anything that is small and moves. One thing they do not catch, and I'd be more forgiving if they did, is rats, cats don't catch rats, you need a dog for that, preferably a Jack Russell.

Our cat had a few rats in her time. Youngsters, maybe but they were definitely rats!

 

[ancient_mariner]

Our cat had a few rats in her time. Youngsters, maybe but they were definitely rats!

Yup, our cats have had rats - even rabbits - in their time.

 

[sphexx]

Yup, our cats have had rats - even rabbits - in their time.

Yup, cats kill rats. Around some buildings they are better than terriers mainly due to access I expect being free to go all the time.

 

[sphexx]

In markets on Crete, the rabbits hanging in the cabinets have the feet left intact.

But presumably the heads were still on (tastiest part ) so it would be obvious from that.

 

[Nod]

Not sure TBH! The big indoor market we usually use/visit has been closed for refurbishment for the past couple of years and my memory isn't that good. Photos of the cabinets are on a different HDD.

 

[JohnC6]

I doubt that there are any mink farms left ( in the UK at least)

But it seems that to make one fur coat, about 35 ranched or 55 wild minks are required.
Good luck with catching enough.

I do know that they were banned here but just did a check and it was in 2000. I watched a TV documentary on one, a very large one..in Denmark but Covid seems to have put a stop to it. In November 2022 the government there ordered all mink (approx 15million) on farms to be destroyed to prevent a mutated coronavirus from spreading in the animals and in humans. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-denmark-mink-farme-idCAKBN27L2BN

 

[sphexx]

I do know that they were banned here but just did a check and it was in 2000. I watched a TV documentary on one, a very large one..in Denmark but Covid seems to have put a stop to it. In November 2022 the government there ordered all mink (approx 15million) on farms to be destroyed to prevent a mutated coronavirus from spreading in the animals and in humans. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-denmark-mink-farme-idCAKBN27L2BN

I have a vague memory that was either rescinded or deemed to be an overreaction . I can’t find a link at present though .

 

[JohnC6]

I have a vague memory that was either rescinded or deemed to be an overreaction . I can’t find a link at present though .

I think you're right but they re-imposed the ban until some time this year. Having said that, I'm not sure it was ever rescinded, though.

I found this so I think the industry will die out because there's talk of new Covid variants and I think that will be an ongoing situation. We've got the darned virus in one form or another forever. Please don't take the thread into that,though...

Report concludes public health still at risk from mink farms in Denmark

The Statens Serum Institut has published their long-awaited health assessment regarding the reopening of Danish mink farms. The government of Denmark currently has a temporary ban on mink breeding in place until 2023 following a COVID-19 outbreak in several hundred mink farms, which resulted in...

www.eurogroupforanimals.org

 

[Cobra]

destroyed to prevent a mutated coronavirus from spreading in the animals and in humans.

Covid hysteria has a lot to answer for

I have a vague memory that was either rescinded or deemed to be an overreaction

Over reaction? just a tad.

 

[sphexx]

Covid hysteria has a lot to answer for

Over reaction? just a tad.

It’s really only possible to tell if any reaction is an over reaction with hindsight in the case of a novel pandemic.

I doubt one can ever assess the real risk early on so the only sensible reaction is to use draconian measures while assessing the danger.

Politicians are not very good at draconian since their whole life, as politicians, they’ve been courting popularity .

 

[Cobra]

It’s really only possible to tell if any reaction is an over reaction with hindsight in the case of a novel pandemic.

Quite possibly, but Covid is not on the list of zoonotic diseases.
IIRC Ferrets however can catch flu from us.

 

[sphexx]

Quite possibly, but Covid is not on the list of zoonotic diseases.

But when a pandemic is “novel” no one knows if it’s potenially zoonotic or not. Perhaps the likeliness can be estimated (eg I guess all influenzas are classed as possible/likely).

 

[Cobra]

But when a pandemic is “novel” no one knows if it’s potenially zoonotic or not.

It wasn't classified as such at the tail end of '22.
As it was identified at the back end of 2019 that is 3 clear years to find out.
As above, ref the mink farm, I'd say it was a knee jerk reaction.

 

[ancient_mariner]

Quite possibly a lot of people want fur farming out of Europe for other quite different reasons, and this was a way to encourage its departure.

 

[JohnC6]

Covid hysteria has a lot to answer for

Over reaction? just a tad.

I don't think they thought that they had any choice. A variant was in the mink community that had transfered to handlers who had, originally, transferred Covid-19 to them

Article dated December 2020.It turns out the cull was illegal. I'm not familiar with Danish law but obviously the official protocol wasn't followed. It must have been a nightmare for them as you'll see in the article.

Here's why Denmark killed 17 million minks after more than 200 Covid outbreaks at fur farm

Denmark culled 17 million minks in November in response to Covid-19 outbreaks at more than 200 mink farms. Now the country plans to dig up the dead animals after they started to rise out of their shallow graves.

www.nbcnews.com

"Around the world, minks are getting sick.The small, ferret-like mammals farmed for their valuable fur have raised alarm after contracting and mutating the coronavirus, passing it back to humans.The virus, officials said, spread from human handler to mink, mutated, and then spread back to humans. Denmark went so far as to cull 17 million minks back in November in response to outbreaks at more than 200 mink farms. The northern region of the country, where most fur farms lie, was placed under strict lockdowns.

 

[Cobra]

The virus, officials said, spread from human handler to mink, mutated, and then spread back to humans.

Curious, I'd not heard that. I'm surprised it wasn't more widely reported.

 

[JohnC6]

Curious, I'd not heard that. I'm surprised it wasn't more widely reported.

I didn't want to get into a discussion about the farming of mink, responding to a couple of comments, but the reason I picked up on it back then and have remembered it was that I recall thinking that it was a bit of Karma.

 

[Humphrey]

We had a mink farm a couple of miles from us, the animal activist let a whole load out, to free them. The farm sat right on top of the local river so the mink scattered far and wide and have devastated the local wild life since. I think most of them have now been captured etc in the last 10 years since it happened, but it will take a lot longer for things to recover.

 

[sphexx]

We had a mink farm a couple of miles from us, the animal activist let a whole load out, to free them. The farm sat right on top of the local river so the mink scattered far and wide and have devastated the local wild life since. I think most of them have now been captured etc in the last 10 years since it happened, but it will take a lot longer for things to recover.

They are such a strange lot these ”activists”. They claim to be defending the “rights” of animals but taking your example, what did they do to the ”rights” of water voles. From the perspective of a vole they were “terrorists”.

”Monomaniacs” is possibly at more accurate term for them.

 

[Plain Nev]

Same thing happened around here. Activists released mink into the wild. The riverbank was teeming with them, and they had a predictable effect on the local environment. I well remember trying to argue with an animal rights activist about this online. I simply pointed out that it was reckless and devastating for wildlife. Typically I was blocked immediately. These people just don't want to know. It's not about animal rights, it's about them.

 

[Don Fischer]

Squirrels too, when cornered, can get rather feisty, but then so can rats, mice, Cornish natives. My own dog when I first got him from the rescue shelter was a little horror and would go for everything, including people walking past, but with patience and quiet determination and a little experience (a lot more now), I brought him round; I cannot do the same for the squirrels.

You might be surprised what you might be able to do with a squirrel. When I got my Missy, Border Collie, she was a stray scaed to death of humans. took awhile but she got over it and sleeps next to my bed these days. Also not afraid, well to much, of stranger's that come around anymore. I think with the squirrel you'd have to catch it and pen it up first. As a kid we used to catch wild chipnmunks, put them in a caage and work with them. Was able to taake them out without a leash in time and they didn't run off. It's about gaining their trust!

 

[Tringa]

Squirrels too, when cornered, can get rather feisty, but then so can rats, mice, Cornish natives. My own dog when I first got him from the rescue shelter was a little horror and would go for everything, including people walking past, but with patience and quiet determination and a little experience (a lot more now), I brought him round; I cannot do the same for the squirrels.

Agree, almost animal when cornered and feels threatened will react in whatever way it can to escape, and the idea, as a neighbour of mine believes, they are being nasty, vicious creatures is IMO completely wrong.

I might be wrong but I think the only UK animals that might launch an unprovoked attack on a human are deer or wild boar and even then it is probably because someone has not properly assessed the situation, and this can include trying to get close to a male deer during the rut or inadvertently getting too close to young, and it could be argued that trying to get too close to any wild animal is potentially provoking an attack.

Dave

 

[ShinySideUp]

Agree, almost animal when cornered and feels threatened will react in whatever way it can to escape, and the idea, as a neighbour of mine believes, they are being nasty, vicious creatures is IMO completely wrong.

I might be wrong but I think the only UK animals that might launch an unprovoked attack on a human are deer or wild boar and even then it is probably because someone has not properly assessed the situation, and this can include trying to get close to a male deer during the rut or inadvertently getting too close to young, and it could be argued that trying to get too close to any wild animal is potentially provoking an attack.

Dave

And some traditionally tame animals. My boss of a few years ago was a keen runner and was out on Bodmin moor running with his dog. They went through a herd of cows and they went for him, big time, busted his arm and collarbone plus a couple of ribs; he was in a right state, made the local news too. It is said it was because of his dog and if the dog hadn't been on the lead, the dog would have run for it and the cows wouldn't have attacked. How true this is I can't say as we don't have a control group from the time of people without dogs or those with dogs but not on a lead. Just goes to show that any animal (or human, drunk or not) can be unpredictable and it is best to give any living thing a wide berth until the situation is known.

 

[ancient_mariner]

How common is it for walkers to be killed by cows?

A teacher killed this week was the second dog walker fatally injured by cattle in Yorkshire this year.

www.bbc.co.uk

Cows are well-known for fatal attacks - someone local to me died this year.

 

[Dale.]

This where I get my fear of cows from.

Out with my dad on the hills one day with our dog. We had to walk near a herd of cows, they chased our dog. I panicked and ran, the cows chased me too. My dad stood his ground, they went around him. I got to a fence just in time. The dog went back to my dad when the cows stopped running after I'd jumped the fence. I was 10 at the time.

I've had a fear of them since.

Living in Ayrshire, we often hear of attacks by cows, particularly on the owner/farmer.

Cows are curious things, but they also seem to feel compelled to chase a running thing, human/dog/whatever. I don't think they are intentionally mean though, under normal circumstances, unlike mink.

I don't mind eating cows though.

 

[Cobra]

How common is it for walkers to be killed by cows?

A teacher killed this week was the second dog walker fatally injured by cattle in Yorkshire this year.

www.bbc.co.uk

Cows are well-known for fatal attacks - someone local to me died this year.

I was at a lecture some years ago, given by a pathologist.
It seems that farmers have been killed, by being mounted by bulls.

 

[ShinySideUp]

Let go of the dog, is the advice, and the cows will chase the dog -- there are farmer's Border Collies out there thinking "What! I didn't sign up for this!"

 

[Don Fischer]

And Curry apparently.

I know someone a few years ago that had a contract to clear feral cats from an area.
He used to skin and clean them and sell them to the local India takeaway, owners.
Apparently they look very similar to rabbits in that state.

So the joke many years ago about them eating cats wasn't entirely false.

That's interesting. years ago I was out hunting in Colorado and met a guy from kansas hunting also. Talked a bit and found out he was a fur trapper. told me they got feral cats but the sold the hides as Prairie Sable!

 

[ShinySideUp]

And Curry apparently.

I know someone a few years ago that had a contract to clear feral cats from an area.
He used to skin and clean them and sell them to the local India takeaway, owners.
Apparently they look very similar to rabbits in that state.

So the joke many years ago about them eating cats wasn't entirely false.

It's the main reason that whenever I have Indian or Chinese, I never eat the 'meat' curry. What on earth they mean by 'meat' curry I can't imagine, well actually, I can imagine, but I'd rather not.

 

[ancient_mariner]

It's the main reason that whenever I have Indian or Chinese, I never eat the 'meat' curry. What on earth they mean by 'meat' curry I can't imagine, well actually, I can imagine, but I'd rather not.

Normally that's lamb, although in India it would be goat.

 

[Ed Sutton]

Let go of the dog, is the advice, and the cows will chase the dog -- there are farmer's Border Collies out there thinking "What! I didn't sign up for this!"

Some Collies are good 'cow dogs'.

 

[Cobra]

but the sold the hides as Prairie Sable!

Sounds fair

Normally that's lamb, although in India it would be goat.

Ah yes my "local" does a nice line in Lamb Biryani, and it even tastes like lamb.
I've also eaten goat stew, that was actually rather nice.

Some Collies are good 'cow dogs'.

The Aussies use cattle dogs, rather like we use sheep dogs,

 

[Nod]

I was at a lecture some years ago, given by a pathologist.
It seems that farmers have been killed, by being mounted by bulls.

Bu99...!

 

[Cobra]

Bu99...!

Actually yes!

 

[Nod]

The :wow: was in imitation of the farmer!

The chap who used to do the heavy gardening for Mum had a full time job as a bull w@**er. Well, that's how he described the art of "collection" for an AI company!!!