• Why do you want to remove American Mink?
• Does it really matter if we lose water voles?
• Can I still get involved if I don't want to, or cannot assist in mink trapping?
• How do you prevent non-target species from being trapped?
• What happens if the project area is not free of breeding mink by the end of the project – what is the long term strategy?
• Has any research been published?
• Is this Inititaive connected to any other wildlife projects?
• How can I protect my chickens and ducks?
• Are there plans to increase the area which the Initiative currently covers?
• How long is the Initiative funded for?
• Do otters chase mink away?

Why do you want to remove American mink?

American mink are an ‘invasive non-native species’ which means they are a species from another country which has a detrimental impact on our native wildlife.  They predate on ground nesting birds, fish and are a threat to some of our protected native species, e.g. water voles.  As a ‘generalist’ predator mink can adapt their feeding behaviour according to the prey available and once they have exhausted one food source, they simply switch to another.

Does it really matter if we lose water voles?

Yes!  All our wildlife is valuable in its own right and not long ago water voles were a common sight.  Research has also shown that water voles play an important role within aquatic habitats as their burrowing habits aerate soil and the cropping of vegetation increases plant diversity.

Of course!  Anyone can get involved - monitoring a raft or two is a great help to us.  Volunteers can get involved in lots of ways: simply by reporting sightings of American mink; by checking mink monitoring rafts for footprints; by checking traps once prints have been detected; and dispatching trapped mink.  Sometimes volunteers check traps and notify a local dispatcher who will deal with the animal

How do you prevent non-target species from being trapped?

All of our traps are modified to try to prevent non-target species from entering them.  In compliance with national legislation, all traps are checked every 24 hours so that any trapped mink are quickly dispatched and any non-target animals are quickly released.  We rarely encounter non-target animals in the traps.

What happens if the project area is not free of breeding mink by the end of the Initiative – what is the long term plan?

The Initiative is a long term strategy - we aim to hand over the work we have started to local organisations, such as fisheries and rivers trusts and other conservation bodies.  This means there is a long term plan to continue mink control across the area after the current funding has ended.  We expect mink to occasionally appear in areas we have cleared of breeding mink, however a rapid-response system will be in place to remove these mink

Has any research been published about American mink in Scotland?

Yes; Professor Xavier Lambin who managed the predecessor projects has carried out a great deal of research into mink genetics, and ecology as well as the use of volunteers in conservation projects.  Visit his website for more information.

Is this Initiative connected with other wildlife projects?

We work closely with the Deveron, Bogie and Isla Rivers Charitable Trust who carry out mink control and other non-native invasive species work.  We also liaise with Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels and work with local groups, fishery trusts and river boards.

How can I protect my chickens or ducks?

As mink are a generalist predator, they will adapt their diet to the prey available and this includes domestic chickens and ducks.  Mink are able to squeeze through tiny gaps in fences and gates, so it is essential that there are no holes in your chicken wire or coop and that chickens and ducks are shut away at night.

Are there plans to increase the area which the Initiative currently covers?

There are no plans at the moment to increase our work area but we are keen to support other organisations, outside the Initiative area, in setting up their own mink control programmes.  We are in the process of preparing a document which will provide guidance on how to set up and run a mink control programme which will be available for download soon.

We have funding in place up until August 2013.

American mink colonised the UK at a time when otters were largely absent due to pesticide poisoning, overhunting and persecution.  It has been suggested that the recovery of otter may be displacing American mink as otters will not share their territory with them. 

A study by WildCru compared abundance and behaviour before and after the re-arrival of otters and polecats on the River Thames and it suggested that mink remain abundant in the presence of these native competitors; however they had changed their activity patterns.  Whereas American mink in the 1990s (in the absence of otters and polecats) were generally nocturnal, mink in the 2000s (in the presence of otters and polecats) were predominantly active during the day.  It is thought that this temporal shift may be an avoidance mechanism allowing the coexistence of mink with native, nocturnal competitors.