Animal of the Month

1. Minks belong to the Mustelidae family along with badgers, weasels and polecats.
   
   
2. European minks have a white patch on their upper lip while American minks do not.
   
   
3. Although dark in colour, if minks become injured, their fur will grow back white over the scar.
   
   
4. Minks are great swimmers and climbers.
   
   
5. Although not native to Britain, they could be found throughout the country after the species was brought to our shores to be farmed for their fur in 1929.
   
   
6. All around the world, humans imprison minks inside factory farms, where they breed and kill them for their fur. But not here. Fur farming was banned in Britain in 2000.
   
   
7. In America, 307 mink farms still exist.
   
   
8. Until the ban on hunting with hounds in February 2005, minks were also hunted and killed for sport in Britain.
   
   
9. Minks can live to be 8 years old.
   
   
10. Recognising the cruelty of the fur trade, many, many people refuse to wear fur, including fashion designer Stella McCartney, actor Pamela Anderson and singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor.