DENMARK: Over 12,000 Mink Released By Activists

Danish police have no leads after animal activists let out thousands of mink from farms on the island of Sealand. This sort of activity has, up till now, been almost unknown in Scandinavia, where the cold winters have meant that furs are socially acceptable. Denmark is the world's leading producer of mink pelts, and Saga Furs has its headquarters there.The Animal Liberation Front (Dyrenes Befrielsesfront) let 8000 mink (value 1.6m Danish kroner) out of the their cages at a farm near Frederikssund, and on September 26 over 3000 mink at Sorø and almost 1200 mink at Jægerspris were released. At about 3am early Monday morning, the owner saw his 8000 mink running around outside. Activists had opened every single cage, undetected, even though the owner lives next door. Most of the animals were still inside the fencing, but around 2500 had escaped through the gates, which the activists had left open. The owner got help from police and civil defence forces to round them up. However, many of the pelts were damaged. The full cost of the activists' actions has not yet been calculated.The Animal Protection Society is worried that the activists will go further. The Danish Fur Breeders Association (Dansk Pelsdyravlerforening) points out that activists in other countries have not just attacked mink breeders. "In Sweden they threatened to blow up an abattoir," said the chairman, Erik Ugilt Hansen to the newspaper Jyllands Posten.A spokesperson for the Animal Liberation Front's support group, Søren Lindbo, would not exclude actions taken against other animals. "In Sweden they release everything form battery hens to dogs, and I can imagine that happening in Denmark too. Pressure is increasing on those who force animals to live under extreme conditions and kill them." Back in April, a mink farm in Himmerland suffered an arson attack. In July 1700 mink were let out, and 4000 in March last year.Fur links: Saga Furs at