40,000 mink are running loose after someone broke into their facility, Ohio cops say

Officials are warning residents in northwest Ohio to be on the lookout after tens of thousands of mink were released from a facility in Van Wert County.

There was a break-in at Lion Farms USA Mink Farm, in Hoaglin, overnight on Nov. 15, the Van Wert sheriff’s office said in a news release.

The culprits destroyed fencing at the facility and freed between 25,000 to 40,000 mink from their cages, the sheriff’s office said.

While mink are small, they are predatory animals. Such a large number suddenly released into the area could cause significant problems.

“As a result, they can be a bothersome pest for homeowners, livestock owners, and property managers,” the release said. “Minks have proven to be especially costly and problematic for poultry ranchers as well as homeowners with ornamental ponds filled with koi and other fish.”

The sheriff’s office is investigating along with several other agencies including the Ohio State Patrol.

Anyone with information about the break-in is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 419-238-3866.

Generally, mink are farmed for their fur and slaughtered in late fall when their coats are of optimal thickness and quality, National Geographic reported.

Animal rights groups across the globe have long spoken out against mink farming, lambasting their killing and the conditions they’re kept in. However, investigators did not say whether that was the motive behind the break-in.

Mink are semi-aquatic and found most often in the wild near streams and creeks, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

They are territorial animals but also very vocal, communicating their mood to other mink by screeching, barking, hissing, as well as purring when pleased.

“The mink is prized by the trapper both for its pelt and for the great skill required to capture it,” according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. “To the wildlife enthusiast, the sight of this elusive furbearer is a thrilling surprise that must be experienced quickly, before the dynamic creature can scurry away to a place of concealment.”

This story was originally published November 15, 2022 at 10:05 AM with the headline "40,000 mink are running loose after someone broke into their facility, Ohio cops say."