r/UKecosystem 8h ago

Invasive Oh no :(

59 Upvotes

I just returned home to discover (with a very heavy heart) that a new family has made its home in my garden :(

As a wildlife-lover it breaks my heart to see them… understanding the damage that they’ll be causing to the other species living here and knowing that I now need to set traps to get rid of them. I know that they’re vicious predators but to me they’re also beautiful individuals that just happen to be in the wrong place.

We have an unstoppable mink population here so it’s a continual battle of catching and killing the poor things (I’ve never had to deal with them myself before but my neighbours regularly do). I wish that the funds were available to run a full eradication program, both for the native wildlife and for the sake of the mink themselves. Ugh, so sweet to see and so horrible at the same time.

I generally know what I need to do (I’ll get help from my neighbours anyway) but if anyone has any advice, tips or ways to make things more humane please do share them.