Search continues for ‘liberated’ mink, fox from fur farm

Sun News (Canada)
August 29th, 2013

MONTE SOLBERG | QMI AGENCY

wildminkSIMCOE, Ont. — A handful of animals remains at large following a break-and-enter at a fur farm east of Simcoe this week when nearly 420 mink and 80 fox were sprung from their cages.

Individuals claiming to represent the Animal Liberation Front have taken responsibility for the release of the animals from Bollert Fur Farm in Renton, Ont., early Monday.
The fur farm’s manager, Robert Bollert, referred all inquiries to the Fur Council of Canada (FCC).

Most of the animals have been rounded up and returned to their cages.

Nancy Daigneault, a member of the FCC board of directors, reported Thursday that 15 mink remain unaccounted for along with 20 fox.
“The recovery effort is going well,” she said

The Ministry of Natural Resources has assisted with the roundup, using baited live traps as the primary means of capture.

When asked about the incident Tuesday, Daigneault warned that some of the animals would likely end up dead on the road.

Domesticated mink and fox gravitate to the sound of traffic. Daigneault said that might be because the sound reminds them of an approaching food cart.
Daigneault said some of the released animals have been recovered as roadkill.

The incident in Renton is the first the FCC has heard about this year in Canada. Two weeks ago, a similar release occurred at the East Fork Mink Ranch in Morris, Ill, where 2,000 mink were released. No one has taken responsibility for that break-in.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is probing the Illinois case because acts of these kind are considered a form of domestic terrorism. If an activist group is trying to put a farmer out of business, there are concerns their tactics may escalate.

In the Illinois, two pickup trucks were smeared with paint remover. As well, a barn was spray-painted with the words “Liberation is love.”

A detailed description of the Renton break-in was posted on the website www.liveaction.info the day after it happened. Those claiming responsibility said they hid in tall grass late into the night before cutting holes in a compound fence, opening the front gates and releasing the animals from their cages.

The post said the culprits ran away when they saw the house lights come on near Highway 3. The post was signed “ALF.” Norfolk OPP are investigating.