A specimen of American mink was spotted in central Sardinia

A hiker called the forestry department. This mustelid is an invasive and dangerous species for maintaining biodiversity

NUORO. An American mink was spotted in central Sardinia by a hiker who has it immediately reported to 1515. The event took place in the countryside between Gadoni and Seulo, along the course of the Flumendosa. A rare event that has already had a precedent, however: a few years ago a citizen captured one in the countryside of Sedilo, after the animal had killed its chickens. The American mink (neovison vison) is a carnivorous mammal of the mustelid family. Semi-aquatic, it prefers coastal areas with dense vegetation. It is an extraordinary predator of wild species, especially birds found in wetlands. It is considered an invasive species that has been imported into Italy since the 1950s and has spread to the areas surrounding the large farms in the north, as well as to Sardinia along the Flumendosa and Lake Omodeo. «The European Union - explains the Forestry - considers the mink one of the ten alien species present in Italy most dangerous for the maintenance of biodiversity. In the regional territory it fills ecological niches that are not included on the island ».

It is an alien species to the sighting area . It is believed that it was imported into Italy in the 1950s and then spread to the areas surrounding the large farms in the North, as well as to Sardinia. Predator of wild species and in particular of birds found in wetlands, they have often come into conflict with local fauna and are therefore considered invasive fauna. The European Union considers mink one of the ten most dangerous alien species present in Italy for the maintenance of biodiversity. It is not the first time that a specimen has been sighted in Sardinia: we recall a precedent from a few years ago in the Sedilo countryside, where a private citizen captured one after the animal had killed some chickens.