“These animals should not be approached as they can be aggressive,” the animal hospital said. “They are not pets, and should not be taken in a home or to a rescue. If one of these minks were to approach you, get far away from it. Keep all pets inside if possible.”
The Daily Item reported that Mark Stahl, of the Stahl fur farm, would say only that he was unsure what happened and warned people not to approach the animals. An email message seeking comment was sent to the company; a telephone message could not be left for the firm.
State police said they had opened a criminal mischief investigation and asked anyone with information to call investigators.
Cassie Marks, of Sunbury, told The Daily Item she helped capture four of the animals to return to the hospital.
“We did not touch the animals,” she said. “We just wanted to help out here.”
In November, vandalism freed an estimated 10,000 minks at a rural northwest Ohio farm. Van Wert County Sheriff Thomas Riggenbach said the property owner initially estimated 25,000 to 40,000 minks were released at Lion Farms, but employees were able to corral many that remained on the property less than 24km from the Indiana state line.
So many minks were killed crossing a nearby road that a plough was brought in to help clear the carcasses away, Riggenbach said.
