Minks still on the lam in Van Wert County

VAN WERT COUNTY, Ohio. (21Alive) - Minks continue to run wild after someone broke into Lion Farms USA Mink farm in Northern Van Wert county

Two days later, the hunt is still on for the remaining minks.

Ron, you declined to give his last name, owns property near the farm. He explained, “I started out yesterday morning, my neighbor called me and said he had mink on his porch and all around his house and wanted me to come down and help him with them. So, I came down and helped him with those. Shot like 22 of them right away and it was just a nightmare. They were running everywhere.”

People have been aiming at them with guns and cars. Reducing the number of escaped minks because they’re causing trouble for nearby property owners

“They’ve been in my garage. Before this, they would tunnel through my downspouts and they were coming up through my drains. I had to bolt them to the floor.”

The Van Wert County Sheriff’s Department confirms property owners can defend their animals and themselves should minks come near them.

Minks are semiaquatic, carnivorous animals and opportunistic hunters. So, the animal will attack prey its same size and smaller.

Some hunters have collected dozen of them so far. Most were shot and killed.

Beverly Boyd’s husband has been working for two days trying to help curtail the problem, saying “His friend was walking up, he had two minks. One was pretty much alive until it passed away. Then we opened up his truck and I’m like holy cow. There’s maybe fifty of them.”

The Sheriff’s office says most of the minks remained on the property, but there was still 10,000 left unaccounted for as of Monday afternoon.

Authorities still aren’t sure who’s responsible for letting the minks lose. Many believe animal rights activists are behind it and Ron says he isn’t happy with their method of protest, saying “What they’ve done, they caused more damage. If they wanted to protest the animal rights part, they should be down here with posters and doing it peacefully.”

21Alive reached out to the van wert county sheriff’s office and lion farms today to see how many minks remain unaccounted for, but we’ve not received a response.