The European mink is “Critically Endangered” because of a loss of over half the population due to habitat loss, water pollution, hydroelectric constructions, and invasive species, notably American mink.
The European mink is currently evaluated as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species because of an ongoing population reduction.
The primary reason for population declines is commercial trapping for fur. However, the mink also suffers as a result of habitat degradation/loss, water pollution, and hydroelectric constructions. The introduction of invasive species, notably American Mink (Neovison vison), has also negatively impacted European mink populations.
• Image | ©️ Die Thukrals, Some Rights Reserved, (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
• Sources | (Maran, et al., 2016; Nowak 1990; Shalu, 2001; The Wikimedia Foundation, 2020a)
