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If you love animals, this is an awful story, so brace yourself.

Denmark was in shock last week when it was reported that the government had decided to cull all of its mink – up to 17 million of them.

The reason, they say, is reports of COVID-19 outbreaks on mink farms.

It isn’t the first country to record outbreaks. Spain, Sweden, Italy, and America have all been affected, as has the Netherlands where mink farming will be outlawed next year.

So far, reports the BBC, 2,85 million mink have already put down in an operation that has been in effect for some time now.

The cull, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration says, is complete on 116 farms and the work continues.

Scientists from Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen first raised the alert after detecting mutations in strains of coronavirus found in mink. Then came the order for a mass cull last Wednesday [November 4] and a four-week lockdown for people living in the northwest of the country.

Image: Culled mink before they are buried, credit: EPA/ Morten Stricker

“Mutation happens all the time, but once in a while these mutations happen in the spike protein,” says Prof Anders Fomsgaard, SSI’s head of virus research.

These cases of COVID-19, says the BBC, originally came from a wild animal. It was then transmitted to people and, later, passed on to farmed mink, before jumping back to a small number of humans.

Several different mutations of the virus have been found in mink that do not arise in humans, but one that they’re calling ‘Cluster 5’ is of serious concern. 12 people are known to have contracted it. A further 200 people have reportedly been infected with other mink-related strains.

Image: Mass graves for culled mink, credit: EPA/ Morten Stricker

However, on Tuesday, the government admitted that it lacked the legal framework for the nationwide order, and only had the jurisdiction to cull mink within a “safety radius”.

“It is a mistake. It is a regrettable mistake,” said Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen as she apologised to parliament.

“Even if we were in a rush, it should have been completely clear to us that new legislation was required, and it was not. I apologise for that.”

Emergency legislation is being rushed through to try and remedy the situation.

Liberal Party chairman Jakob Ellemann-Jensen called it “shocking” and criticised a lack of transparency. Compensation for farmers should have been in place first, he said. Even parties allied to the government have called for an investigation.

Danish animal rights groups feel that it’s time to follow the example of other European nations and stop mink farming entirely.

The culled mink have been buried in mass graves, with more to join them in the coming weeks.

[source:bbc]