VAN WERT, Ohio — Of the thousands of mink released from Lion Farms Tuesday afternoon, approximately 10,000 are unaccounted for, according to the Van Wert County Sheriff's Office.
According to Britannica.com, mink are small semiaquatic mammals closely related to weasels and ferrets.
The mink were let loose from their cages by an unknown person and many of them were later rounded up by employees at the farm. The farm advised the sheriff's office that the animals are considered domesticated and will not survive in the wild.
Sherriff Riggenbach of the Van Wert County Sheriff's Office advises that the mink could bite and should not be touched if seen. Instead, people can call a nuisance trapper so the animal can be recaptured by experienced handlers.
According to the sheriff's office, it has received inquiries regarding residents hunting the mink and advise that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in Findlay can answer any questions regarding hunting and trapping.
This story was originally published by WEWS in Cleveland, Ohio.
