The European mink, Mustela lutreola, is one of the most endangered carnivores in the world and has suffered continual decline and local extinctions. The American mink was imported into France at the beginning of the 20th century for the commercial value of its fur. American mink control is crucial; but refuges where wild populations can be established safe from invasion by American mink are also necessary. Nowadays, the species has disappeared from most of Europe, and it is considered critically endangered. mink is currently present (Maizeret and others 1998). Indeed, because the European mink population density is low, they travel large distances to find a partner resulting in a higher collision risk. Except the year 2009, catching expeditions took place each year, usually in March. The European mink suffered as streams became too nutrient-rich and natural water … The first captures took place in 2003. European minks once lived throughout much of Europe from Spain to western Russia . Intensive researches of situation of the European mink within DDBR were initiated in 2000. The result is that European mink are pushed into suboptimal habitats unsuitable for reproduction, and long-term population persistence. Why are minks disappearing? Decline of European Mink Western population 729 1998, Lodé 1999). Finland’s European mink population has become extinct. Vincent Wildlife Trust is collaborating with Madis Podra and Asun Gomez (both with Tragsatec, Spain), Dr Lauren Harrington (WildCRU) and Dr Allan McDevitt (University of Salford) to trial methods to survey and ultimately monitor European mink populations. The western population of European mink has recently suffered a bottleneck and proportion of polymorphic loci only reached 10.5% (p<0.01 level). distribution, the status (population trends, density etc.) But now, their population is in small fragments in only parts of Spain, France, and Southern Europe. Measures of the level of nitrates in water and water consumption for irrigation were based on data pro-vided by the Agence de Bassin, but data were not avai - lable for all years. In the past, European mink was found everywhere in Europe, except in the south. In Spain, the European mink population is estimated to number only around 500 individuals, restricted to the north-east of the country.

These areas are all part of the deciduous temperate forest biome, one of the oldest and most important biomes in the world. Occasionally, colour mutations, including albinos and erythrists, occur. The European polecat (Mustela putorius) is a species of mustelid native to western Eurasia and north Morocco.It is of a generally dark brown colour, with a pale underbelly and a dark mask across the face.