Some not so common patients have already found a home at the Wildlife In Need Center for this summer; those patients are two baby American Mink. After almost being run over by a lawnmower the first Mink was brought to us by people who were not quite sure what kind of species they had even discovered in their lawn. The first one was a rare enough surprise but when more arrived we were speechless.
They came in with their eyes closed and just opened their eyes late last week! Mink do not open their eyes until closer to six or seven weeks old; therefore staff has had their hands full with these two, feeding them five to six times every day. Now that their eyes have opened they must be separated since in the wild Mink do not get along with other Mink. Mink will fight whenever they encounter other Mink except during breeding. Also, now that their eyes are opened we have cut back their feedings and they have started on solid foods…how exciting!
It’s been an exciting adventure and learning experience and we will continue to help them gain all the knowledge they will need to survive in the wild on their own. This will include learning to swim. Mink are excellent swimmers, with partly webbed feet, and can dive to more than 16 feet! At the center we will offer swim tubs to help the Mink get very comfortable in the water. With a lot of care, attention and proper nutrition we hope the Mink will be swimming and diving for food in no time!
-Guest Blogger M.F.
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