Hi, Simon!
 
I volunteer at the Greater Chicago Ferret Assocation's shelter and a couple
years back I was asked to do a ferret pick-up at a local animal control.
When I got to the AC, the AC officer had the critter in a large carrier
outside waiting for me to come.  They'd gotten a call from a lady who said
the animal had been trapped in their basement window well...it turned out
the "ferret" was a mink!  It surprised me, though looking back, it
shouldn't have, that the AC officer didn't know it WAS a mink!
 
I found out later that an animal rights group had released all the mink at
a mink farm a couple miles away in another township.  To get to the town I
picked him up, this mink had to have survived dogs, people and at least one
major stretch of road.  Fortunately, we found a place for him where he need
never worry about being killed for his fur.
 
And they are beautiful creatures, aren't they?
 
MJ Frank
[Posted in FML issue 2778]