One Street - Mink

Fur farms had existed in the UK since the 1920s until they were banned in 2000. There have always been escapees into the wild and of course there were the mass releases in the 1990s by animal right protestors.

There is no doubt that the non-native American mink species has wrecked havoc on native wildlife including water voles, moorhens, kingfishers and ducklings. Mink are magnificent swimmers and predators and are very efficient killing machines.

Inaction and lack of commitment from successive governments has done little to deal with the problem.

I was cycling along one street, the Bridgewater canal, and saw this one running along the opposite bank. I dismounted and tried to photograph him but I had my wide angle lens on so the results were not good. I crouched down to change the lens and as I did he slipped into the water and started heading straight for me. When he arrived he climbed out and looked me straight in the eye before running across the towpath and into the undergrowth.

I await Jankerman's comments with interest.

A few more shots.