HINSDALE, Mass. -- The owner of a mink farm is blaming "antifur people" for the release of hundreds of the valuable animals.
More than one trespasser cut through barbed wire to get into Berkshire Furs early Monday morning, police said. About 400 to 500 mink were freed, and about 300 had yet to be recovered.
The farm's owner, Earl Carmel, said he suspected that animal-rights activists were responsible. "Who else would have done it?" he asked.
The farm-bred mink are unlikely to survive more than a few days in the wild, Carmel told the Berkshire Eagle.
Teresa Platt, a spokeswoman for Fur Commission USA, estimated that the theft cost the farm between $75,000 and $100,000. She said Carmel and his wife kept up to 30,000 mink for fur production purposes, with about 500 used for breeding.
Platt, whose nonprofit group represents mink farmers, said such break-ins are not unusual. "It's usually three to six people driving around causing trouble," she said. "They often get into a car and go across a couple of states. They'll hit a shoe store because they are selling leather goods. They'll hit a
No arrests were reported.
"We're researching some leads that we have, but we haven't got a lot of physical evidence," said Hinsdale Police Chief Christopher K. Powell.
