VAN WERT – Thousands of animals both wild and domesticated have died near here over the past couple of weeks, some smashed by traffic on the roadways, some as victims of exposure or hunger, and others viciously attacked and ripped apart.
And to what end?
Apparently, in a brazen act of protest against a business that is licensed, legal, and part of the free market, it was very likely a group of individuals broke into a farm in Hoaglin Township, removed the fencing, and opened the cages in order to release as many as 40,000 mink that were being raised there.
Some news reports called it vandalism. Vandalism is damaging the mailbox along the road outside the farm. This was most likely the latest in a troublesome string of acts that should be classified as eco-terrorism, perpetrated by shadowy animal rights groups that take an absolutist perspective in an attempt to force their extremist views on everyone.
Raising fur-bearing animals is legal in Ohio. Trapping fur-bearing animals is legal in Ohio. Hunting fur-bearing animals is legal in Ohio. Wearing fur is legal in Ohio.
Minks are native to Ohio and neighboring Michigan and are considered common, although they are reclusive and rarely seen. They are, by nature, one of the most aggressive and nasty predators around.
“For their size, they are definitely a top-end predator,” said Brian Banbury from the Ohio Division of Wildlife. “They are ferocious predators and they'll eat a lot of things – reptiles, amphibians, squirrels, rabbits, fish, ducks, and birds. They'll kill just about anything they can get close to.”
So when thousands of minks were suddenly scattering across this rural area, there was a trail of death in every direction. A mink got into a chicken pen at a nearby farm and killed the entire flock. Other farms had similar gruesome incidents.
These scenes are reminiscent of that at a northern Wood County farm this past summer where a single mink – an animal that is about 15 inches long and weighs maybe two pounds – got into a pen occupied by a dozen 20-25 pound turkeys and killed seven of the birds before the others could frantically tumble over the fence and escape.
There were blood and feathers everywhere, but the meat of the birds had not been disturbed.
“When they get the opportunity, they will go on a killing spree,” Banbury said. “It is in their DNA.”
With minks rampaging across the landscape here, the ecosystem has been thrown into chaos. Wildlife in the area, as well as the farm animals, pets, and poultry flocks, have been suffering significantly.
And tens of thousands of minks will end up slaughtered on the roadway, shot as pests, or starving in an unfamiliar environment. Just what did the perpetrators of this crime accomplish?
The Van Wert County Sheriff is investigating the incident, with assistance from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Emergency Management Agency.
The environmental and sustainability website Greenmatters stated that animal rights activists with the group Animal Liberation Front allegedly were the perpetrators. The organization has a track record of criminal activity such as arson and property damage in its effort to “free” animals.
The group reportedly claimed responsibility for recent mink releases at a farm in Massillon and one in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, but the number of animals involved in those incidents totaled just a fraction of the minks released at Lion Farms USA Mink Farm near here.
A Fort Wayne television station published a photo from the scene showing “ALF” and “We’ll be back” spray-painted on the side of a barn.
Humans have utilized the fur, hides, bones, and meat of animals for at least 100,000 years. If one disagrees with that practice, then don't hunt, don't trap, don't raise these animals, and don't wear fur. If you are passionate about an issue, use legitimate and peaceful methods to change the laws – you don't storm the Capitol, burn and loot businesses, or raid farms.
Using force to subject others to a point of view that they might not share runs contrary to the freedom of choice we value so greatly. In our vast melting pot, there is room for expressing your beliefs without resorting to violence or the destruction of another person's property.
First Published December 3, 2022, 12:00 p.m.
