Mink kept in fur farms exhibit high rates of stereotypic behaviour, a key indicator of compromised welfare resulting from conditions that frustrate natural behavioural needs.
Mink stereotypies — repetitive, invariant movements with no apparent function — develop in response to environments that cannot meet the animals fundamental behavioural drives. These include swimming, diving, extensive ranging, and complex predatory behaviour. Stereotypies indicate chronic frustration and are considered reliable indicators of poor welfare. Despite evidence that these behaviours are largely unresponsive to environmental enrichment within cage systems, mink farming continues in many countries with minimal welfare regulation.