Mink escaped from fur farms have established wild populations in UK rivers, threatening water voles, ground-nesting birds, and other wildlife whose welfare depends on mink population control.
Mink management for water vole welfare involves killing individual mink to protect water vole populations. Water voles predated by mink experience acute fear and death. Mink trapped and killed experience trap stress and killing distress. The welfare arithmetic strongly favours control: each mink removed prevents the predation of dozens of voles over its lifespan. Water vole populations where mink are effectively controlled recover substantially, representing thousands of individual animals living longer lives. Humane trap standards and rapid checking - minimising time in trap before dispatch - reduce individual mink suffering while protecting vole populations.