Orphaned Mink Found by Road

“Stinky Minky” was brought to us after he was found in a ditch. His mother and two siblings were lying dead on the road. We estimated the young mink to be around 6-8 weeks old. Initially we put him in a large cage in one of our indoor “open” rooms but soon found the only place this little creature could stay (and allow us to breathe fresh air) was in our bathroom with the fan on! Stinky Minky was aptly named! We had never raised a mink before and he was a very interesting little animal. He ravenously ate his food and loved to shred the sheet covering part of his cage after pulling it into the cage. He hid under the towels we put in the bottom of the cage and, as he grew older, would rush and hiss at anyone daring to put their fingers close to the cage.

After a few weeks, Stinky Minky was transferred outside into our squirrel house (minus the squirrels) where he had lots of fun running up and down the planks of wood and playing under the branches and leaves on the floor. Two months after he arrived, it was time to release the mink back into the wild and we let him go close to where he had been found. The minute his cage was opened, Stinky Minky dashed out and in seconds disappeared under thick undergrowth, without stopping to say goodbye!