The American Mink

I've been reliably informed that the beautiful, sleek, black creature in my garden, spotted a few days ago, is actually an American Mink.  Apparently they're found near rivers and bad news for wildlife.  There is a river in this area, The River Taff, but it's not that near to my house, so it did seem odd to see one in my back garden running on the decking.

So, how do American Mink end up in the UK, you might ask? 

Apparently, they were released into the wild here from Mink Farms by Animal rights protestors years ago and are thriving big time since they don't have predators themselves.

This is an interesting clip where Bill Oddie talks about them:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/American_Mink#p007vcjx