Objectives

The efforts of the European mink conservation base largely on the earlier activities of Tallinn Zoo in captive breeding of the species and on the promotion of its conservation. The objectives of the conservation of the European mink in Estonia are provided in the European mink recovery plan in Estonia:

Ex situ:

• Construction of Special Breeding Facility for European mink with a capacity of 200 animals;
• establishment of a captive population consisting of 200 individuals;
• maintenance a favourable genetic and demographic structure of the stock and its behavioural identity;
• integrated management of the captive stock within the European mink EEP Program.

In situ:

• Establishing with captive-born founders a wild population consisting of 168-233 individuals in Hiiumaa Island (1000 km²);
• establishing with captive-born founders a wild population consisting of 168-233 individuals on Saaremaa Island (2500 km²);
• securing the survival of these newly established stocks on both islands with respective conservation measures.