In an attack in the early hours of Tuesday morning, nearly three hundred mink carrying young were freed from a fur farm in the village of Hyyppä in Kauhajoki municipality in Western Finland. The breeding charts of one hundred foxes were also stolen in the raid.
On Tuesday, Kauhajoki police had no knowledge of the perpetrators. Because of the state of the mink, which were scheduled to give birth towards the end of the week, the police are investigating the raid not only as aggravated sabotage but also as an animal rights violation.
Initial estimates suggest the trespassers caused damage running to tens of thousands of euros.
By the evening almost all of the escaped mink had been caught by a 40-strong group of volunteers from the surrounding fur farms.
According to veterinarian Liisa Wallenius of the Fur Breeders' Association, the stress experienced during the raid will nevertheless cause many of the freed animals to miscarry.
The stealing of breeding charts of the foxes has ruined years of work with improvement by breeding. The foxes in question can no longer be used as breed animals.
Kauhajoki police hope to receive information on the perpetrators either by phone or via email (Palaute@kauhajoki.poliisi.fi/).
