Iowa farmers scramble to capture thousands of minks released in ‘act of terrorism’ by would-be anti-fur protesters
One or more intruders broke into a mink farm in Iowa and released 2,000 of the animals in what a trade group called an “act of terrorism” under federal law.
Sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning, fencing was cut and pens and nesting boxes were destroyed to release mink being raised for their pelts, the U.S. Fur Commission said. The farm is located near Woodbine, Iowa, about 100 miles (161 kilometers) west of Des Moines.
Just over 60 percent of the minks had been recovered by Friday morning, though time was running out to find them all before they succumbed to threats in the wild, said Chalice Hobbs, executive director of the U.S. Fur Commission.
People have similarly attacked mink farms and been charged under the federal Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, which defines a person as a terrorist if they attempt to obstruct or destroy an animal operation, Hobbs said.
The United States produced more than 771,000 mink pelts in 2024 amid declining production over the past decade, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
Hobbs said the release of one or two mink occurs on farms in the United States every year. He said the motive was likely sympathy.
“What we see over and over again is that when they release captive-bred and wild-farmed mink like this, especially in these kinds of numbers, they are doing exactly the opposite by harming and hurting the animals,” he said.
He added that if the mink are not recovered within 24 to 48 hours, the majority die without access to food, clean water and shelter. Farms are required to follow standards for humane treatment and euthanasia of animals, Hobbs said.
Some of the released mink attacked and killed some ducks and geese that the farmer was raising for reintroduction efforts, Hobbs said.
The farmer, his son and his grandson are still collecting mink, with more than a dozen live traps deployed and routinely checked, Hobbs said.
Harrison County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Todd Denton declined to comment on the investigation. Through Hobbs, Farmer declined to be interviewed.
A representative for the Animal Legal Defense Fund said mink farms cram animals into inhumane and unsanitary cages, which may contribute to the spread of diseases such as COVID-19 and bird flu. The group supports legislation to end mink farming in the United States
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Dora reported from Bismarck, North Dakota.
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