Mustela vison / (aka) Neovison vison

   Down river from the sanctuary, this mink was travelling alongside the canal. Noticeably smaller than an otter, it uses its slender, lithe body to slink through the waterside vegetation. Their legs are short and sturdy, and their clawed toes have a slight webbing, which assists them when swimming. Along with the claws, their sharp teeth make them very successful carnivores, who scour the waterways for fish, birds, invertebrate, and other small mammals. As competitors and predator, they have been blamed for the decline of several species of native fauna, most notably the water vole.
  While there is no doubting the impact minks have had on UK biodiversity, it should be remembered that their presence in the UK, as well as many other countries across the globe, is the consequence of human greed and vanity. They were brought to these shores in the 1920's to establish fur farms, and subsequently reared to be killed and skinned. Frequently used language, such as "alien invaders" or "invasive species" are disrespectful of an animal that has had to adapt to different environments on which it has been thrust.
  The current wild population of mink are the descendants of those that escaped the horrific fate that fur farms had to offer, or those released by well meaning animal activists. In short, they are here because of us, not because they one day decided to hop on a boat to sample all that the UK had to offer, and as such their presence should be accommodated and controlled without further talk of culling.

Otters in the Tawe

February 2013

  At first it was a disturbance in the river, violent splashes, with ripples searching outwards. Then it emerged, a brown snake-like creature, rising and descending for the merest taste of air, circles on the surface; playing. The photographs mirror my surprise encounter and in no way reflects the true beauty of the otter.

Otter (Lutra lutra)

  It was last only last year that I spotted an American mink behind the Sanctuary. I struggle to buy into the theory that these animals do not belong, as their arrival was not through personal choice or preference. They are victims of circumstance beyond their control and now survive the best they can. I have heard that mink struggle to survive where there are otters, as the competition for food proves too fierce. It will be interesting to see how this develops in the future.

American mink (Mustela vison)