Vigilance and quick action on the river Lossie have led to four successful mink captures from the same location in the span of three months.  

Following a mink sighting reported on 27th November 2022, the local team in the Lossie catchment sprang into action.  Firstly, SISI volunteers in the area were notified to keep a sharp eye on their stretch of river for any further signs of mink to give us an idea if the animal was still in the area.  Traps were then swiftly placed at several locations throughout the area to maximise the chances of a successful capture.  These sites included: on a volunteer’s raft, at the mouths of burns, and along the riverbank itself.  The traps were then monitored, both by the volunteer, who utilised the good old-fashioned method of physically checking every day; and by SISI and Fishery Trust staff, using the more high-tech Remoti units, which will send a signal directly to our phones should the trap be triggered.  

The first capture - a large male mink was caught on 6th December		The second capture - a female on 11th December

Following this swift response, we settled in to wait... but weren’t kept waiting for long.  Little more than a week later, we caught our first mink - a large male - from the location.  We were pleased that our quick action had paid off, so decided to keep the trap running for a little while longer... and less than a week after the first capture, we caught a second mink in the same trap - a female this time.  Having now removed a potential breeding pair from the river and having identified an area of prime habitat we reset the trap once more.  The Remoti unit meant we were able to keep the trap open constantly without having to make a long journey to check it every day - and after a break over Christmas and New Year, the strategy was rewarded with two more mink - another male and female.

This success story on the River Lossie shows how vital reported sightings from members of the public are to the mink control project - and the importance of acting on these sightings as quickly as possible!

Have you seen any mink in your local area? Let us know!