Mostly they eat small mammals such as meadow voles and shrews and they swim and dive underwater to catch fish and crayfish. They are also known to eat birds, eggs, frogs, clams, freshwater mussels, snakes, rats, ground squirrels, salamanders, and a variety of insects.

Diet. Minks are carnivores, which means they eat meat. Muskrats, chipmunks, mice, rabbits, fish, snakes, frogs and water fowl are all part of the mink’s diet.

They typically kill their prey by biting them through the skull or neck. Closely spaced pairs of canine tooth marks are sign of a mink kill. Mink will attack animals up to the size of a chicken, duck, rabbit, or muskrat.

Startled mink may squeal, hiss or snarl and then release a scent similar to a skunk. They can’t spray like skunks can, but they do smell.

California has housing requirements for minks and foxes that make the cost of fur farming prohibitive. In September 2019, it became the first state to ban fur trapping. One month later, it also passed legislation that will ban the sale and manufacture of new fur clothing and accessories beginning on January 1, 2023.

The United States is a major exporter of fur skins. Major export markets include China, Russia, Canada, and the EU. Exports to Asia as a share of total exports grew from 22% in 1998 to 47% in 2002. China is the world’s largest importer of fur pelts and the largest exporter of finished fur products.

Mink coat values can vary widely depending on style, condition, pedigree, and workmanship. A small mink stole may sell at auction for under $100 while vintage mink coats by top designers can go for well over $10,000.

Consumers can donate old furs to thrift shops or consign them to second-hand stores such as online reseller The RealReal. Reselling puts furs in the hands of new owners while also preventing them from potentially ending up in landfills.

It’s estimated that as many as half of all animals raised for their fur are killed to satisfy the market for fur trim. Global fur farming statistics from 2018: Canada – total 1.8m (1.76m mink; 2,360 fox) US – total 3.1m mink.

Environment and health Far from being a natural resource, fur production is an intensely toxic and energy-consumptive process, with pelts being dipped in toxic chemical soups and animal waste runoff from fur factory farms polluting soil and waterways.

Mink carcasses are rarely eaten by humans as the scent gland gives the meat a distinctive flavor which most people don’t enjoy. However, they are not wasted. Some farmers trade them for fish offal with fishermen who use them as crab bait. Crabs love mink meat, but seals hate it!

an inhumane death To preserve the pelts, animals on fur farms are killed by inhumane methods, such as gassing and head-to-tail electrocution. Fox and raccoon dogs are generally electrocuted through the mouth and anus; a method with potential to inflict severe pain and distress on the animal.

Raccoon dogs driven mad with boredom in their pitifully small wire cages, foxes repeatedly smashed over the head with a metal bar in front of their terrified cage mates, animals skinned alive so that the fur trade can sell consumers the lie of luxury.