Vandals with an animal rights activist group had a partially successful attempt at freeing thousands of minks from a farm in Ohio, but not all of the escapees survived much of their freedom.

The owner of the farm originally estimated that between 25,000 and 40,000 of the little carnivores were released from their cages at Lion Farms, according to Van Wert County Sheriff Thomas Riggenbach. Employees at the farm were able to corral many escapees that were still on the property.

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A farm manager told WANE-TV that someone left a spray-painted message of the letters "ALF" and "We'll be back."

In 2013, the Animal Liberation Front took credit for the release of 150-200 animals being released from the mink farm. This year, they already took credit for the release of 1,000 mink near Massilon, Ohio. So far, the group hasn't claimed responsibility for this raid.

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In a statement, Van Wert County Sheriff Riggenbach told “local residents and area farmers that minks are carnivorous mammals that stick to a diet consisting of fresh kills. They regularly hunt prey bigger than themselves. As a result, they can be a bothersome pest for homeowners, livestock owners, and property managers. Minks have proven to be especially costly and problematic for poultry ranchers as well as homeowners with ornamental ponds filled with koi and other fish.”

While many of the mink were shot before getting off of the farm's property by workers, many ran onto the roadway of US 127, where hundreds were struck by passing vehicles.

So many carcasses littered the roadway that the county had to bring a snowplow out to clear the roadway that had become a "slick and dangerous surface."

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If anyone has information about the incident, they are encouraged to contact the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office at 419-238-3866 or Van Wert County Crime Stoppers at 419-239-STOP (7867).

Read more at Times Bulletin

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