I think the truth with the mink lies somewhere in the middle. It does seem that the majority of mink bred in captivity do not do to well in the wild but I think some do survive and thrive and there are other factors animal liberation releases that have not been considered but may distort the picture somewhat. Let's not forget there have been huge efforts to re-capture the animals and that some of the dead will have been shot by farmers worried about them.

Whatere, we can argue the figures as much as we want but what I question is if mink bred in captivity that either escape or are released irresponsibly into the wild have zero chance of survival, how come we have populations of mink in the UK that are so succesful they are a concern? Mink are not indigenous, and there has been no program to introduce them into the wild that I'm aware of. Where did our wild mink come from if not from escapes and releases from captivity over time?

Jon