Mink numbers to be cut by 90% in Kent
Mink numbers in Kent could be reduced by 90% within two years through a new initiative focused on wildlife protection.
The Waterlife Recovery Trust (WRT) has secured a £20,000 grant from the BASC Wildlife Fund to enhance trapping and monitoring efforts across Kent, a region previously known for having one of the highest densities of invasive American mink in Britain.
Conservationists highlight the severe impact mink have on native wildlife, particularly targeting the water vole, which is the UK's fastest-declining mammal.
In addition to water voles, mink prey on ground-nesting birds such as snipe, lapwing, and various waterfowl species, as well as kingfishers and sand martins.
This Kent project follows a similar scheme in east Anglia, where mink numbers decreased by 70% year-on-year, resulting in the complete removal of the species from Norfolk, Suffolk, and East Cambridgeshire.
Michelle Nudds, BASC's South East regional director, said: "The appetite from landowners and volunteers across Kent shows just how much support there is for this work on the ground. We're looking forward to seeing the results."
Ali Horn, WRT's Kent project officer, added:
"It's been great to have extra equipment funded by the BASC Wildlife Fund to cover areas of the county where sightings of mink had been reported but where we didn't yet have traps. The grant allowed us to purchase 56 smart traps, rafts and other essential equipment."
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