What did I see?

jimboddb

Hey all,

Travelling along College Rd., Cork yesterday about 4pm & met what looked like a completely black ferret type animal crossing the road. Watched it for a few seconds & couldn't believe my eyes. Any suggestions on what it could have been?

Nerin

Look familiar?
Mink.

jimboddb

Could be him alright, are they feral? Aren't mink vermin?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Yes and most certainly Yes.

RonMexico

I had one walking around my garden a few years ago. He was a rightly pissed off little bollix too, not one bit afraid of me. Spent about an hour ignoring me and then he buggered off down the middle of the road.

Fausto Miño

They are remarkably unphased by humans, and if backed into a corner will readily attack / bite. I recall years ago, in the middle of the day watching one creep up on farmyard poultry I threw a stone at it (I dont throw stones at animals but I wanted to do whatever necessary to prevent a bloodbath with my father's hens) and was amazed to see it arch its back furhter and continue walking towards us, a most vicious little animal.

meathstevie

They're about the most destructive pest ever unleashed on the Irish countryside. Everyone serious about conservation should be involved in or support their removal.

Dusty87

meathstevie wrote: »

They're about the most destructive pest ever unleashed on the Irish countryside. Everyone serious about conservation should be involved in or support their removal.

Agree 100 per cent. There used to be a lovely flock of ducks that came to kilbeggan every year. The tourists loved them, until them animal rights people did the 'right' thing and released a 1000 american mink from the mink farm. The mink travelled up along the brosna river and killed every one of them.

Diageio_Man

altough im an animal lover they are not native species so if caught should be culled along with the imported amarican crayfish, or else we'll have an epidemic like the grey squirrel. some times you have to be cruel to be kind.

Dusty87

Diageio_Man wrote: »

altough im an animal lover they are not native species so if caught should be culled along with the imported amarican crayfish, or else we'll have an epidemic like the grey squirrel. some times you have to be cruel to be kind.

Yea well im an animal lover too, i just feel our vermin should be culled to protect our own species.

Morganna

awful things mink

Morganna

good pic though

Day Lewin

Agreed, they are an invader, an alien with no local predators, play havoc with the ecosystem etc.
However the use of the word "vermin" is probably not helpful: this word only means "animals that I don't like": it's not a definition.
Mink are sometimes confused with otters but the mink are smaller and much less aquatic: otters would seldom raid a henhouse, for instance (though they could!)
It is partly because they are more versatile in their habitat and diet that they have colonised so successfully; I agree that they should be controlled where possible.

Dusty87

The word 'vermin' is actually gone now, its protected and unprotected. Vermin to me are invasive species, unprotected, which do harm to our own animals etc. I never regarded vermin as 'animal i dont like'. I dont call my girlfriends dog vermin and i definately dont like that dog:):)