Up to 8,000 Mink on the Loose in Northumberland County

As many as 8,000 mink are on the loose after a suspected vandal cut the fence to a farm holding them in Northumberland County on Monday.

According to information released by Pennsylvania State Police-Stonington barracks, the owner of Richard H. Stahl Sons Inc. reported a little after noon on Monday that someone cut holes in the fence surrounding their mink farm in Rockefeller Township, near Sunbury. The person or persons then released the mink from their pens.

Farm owners report that the fence was cut sometime between midnight and 6:50 a.m. Monday. It’s believed that between 6,000 and 8,000 mink are on the loose. Authorities and farm staff have been busily trying to recover the mink since then. There’s no report on how many mink have been recovered since this happened ealier this week.

Anyone with information about this suspected vandalism is asked to call State Police at 570-286-5601.

People are being cautioned not to try and catch the loose mink themselves. Approaching a mink is not advisable for several reasons:

• Wild Animals: Mink are wild animals, and like all wild creatures, they can be unpredictable. When threatened or cornered, they may become aggressive.
• Biting: Mink have sharp teeth and can deliver a painful bite. When they feel threatened, they can be quite aggressive, especially if they perceive a potential danger to their young.
• Diseases: Like many wild animals, mink can carry diseases that are transmissible to humans, such as rabies.

Image: Canva

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