----- Original Message -----
From: "mike wilson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Some of them (whether real activists or otherwise) have done
considerable harm to the ecology of the UK. In my surveys
of freshwater bodies here, I find considerably more Mink
("freed" en masse from UK fur farms) than Water Voles.
As Mink predate Water Voles, this is not suprising.
Mink also eat chicks and eggs. I am waiting for the link to
dramatic drops in songbird numbers to be made.
The first recognition of wild mink in Norway was 1927, following a
mass-escape from a pelt farm on the west coast. By now, they are well
established in the whole country. In the sixties, up to 17000 mink
were shot yearly. In the same period, the wild ferret or polecat, has
declined and almost disappeared from the fauna. A connection is
suspected, but not proven.
I'm not sure if songbirds are particularly affected, as the mink finds
almost all its food close to water. Crayfish and waterfowl seems to be
most affected over here, rather than songbirds.
Jostein
