[Info] [ALF] 30,000 mink reported liberated in Russia

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*30,000 mink reported liberated in Russia

 

*http://www.arkangelweb.org <http://www.arkangelweb.org/>

September 5, 2006

 

Russian animal rights activists have liberated 30,000 mink from a fur

farm in the Luzhsky district, Leningradskaja oblast, an area in the

north western part of Russia which includes St. Petersburg.

 

According to Russian media reports, the " Pioneer " fur farm, one of

several fur farm investment holdings of the LLC Severnaya Pushnina, was

targeted by the Russian Animal Liberation Front on the night of 2nd

September. Activists allegedly scaled the farm's fence and opened an

unspecified number of cages, releasing the mink to spread out as far as

5 km away from the farm. Slogans were also spray painted on the walls of

one of the farm's buildings.

 

Police and spokespeople for Severnaya Pushnina speculate that, judging

by the number of cages opened, no less than 10 activists had to have

participated in the action.

 

The farm had been specialising in the breeding of rare colour type mink.

Some of the specially coloured mink had been the result of a 3 year

selection and breeding process and it is not expected that the farm will

be able to recover the loss of the rare individuals. Because most of the

mink were rare, the damage to the farm is estimated at 10 million

roubles (£196,353).

 

The action is considered a serious blow to the Russian fur industry.

I.V. Parkalov, general director of Severnaya Pushnina said, " We hope

this incident will not only be properly investigated, but also will pull

more attention of administrative structures of Saint-Petersburg and the

region towards the activity of such extremist nature-defending

organizations. " However, Mr Parkalov was not asked to comment on the

extremist activities of those involved in the fur farming industry.

 

Every year, over 50 million animals are killed so that their fur can be

used by the fashion industry; that's more that 130,000 animals

slaughtered every day just so that someone else can wear their coats.

Worldwide, more than 30 million animals are bred and killed on intensive

fur farms with a further 20 million trapped and killed in the wild. The

most common animals used in the creation of fur garments are mink and foxes.

 

Animals are kept in long rows of barren wire cages in open-sided sheds.

A typical cage for a mink measures 24 " long by 10 " wide. These cages,

scarcely bigger than the animals themselves, are where they spend their

entire lives.

 

In the wild, mink and foxes are predatory animals with complex behaviour

patterns. Mink will roam over territories of up to 3 square kilometres

and spend most of their time close to water. Foxes generally live in

small family groups and arctic foxes are known to wander hundreds of

kilometres from their place of birth. On fur farms the natural instincts

of these species are cruelly stifled. The stress and deprivation caused

by intensive confinement often result in the animals performing

unnatural repetitive behaviours and can lead to self-mutilation.

 

Fur farms tend to follow a regular calendar. Animals are mated in

February, give birth in May and offspring weaned at 6-7 weeks. Unless

they are kept for breeding purposes, most mink and foxes are killed in

November at about 7-8 months of age when their pelts are in prime condition.

 

Most mink are killed by gassing or lethal injection. Some are clubbed to

death or have their necks broken. Foxes are most commonly electrocuted;

one electrode is inserted into the animal's rectum and another into its

mouth. The fox generally does not lose consciousness for between one and

two minutes, and animals may later revive only to have to then undergo

this cruelty again. The main reason for selecting these killing methods

is to ensure that the fur is not damaged. Those carrying out the killing

need no training or qualifications.

 

For information on this and other actions in Russia (Russian language),

please visit http://www.aeliberation.net <http://www.aeliberation.net/>.

“Today’s terrorist is tomorrow’s freedom fighter.â€

— SHAC leader Kevin Kjonaas, at the Animal Rights 2002 convention

 

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