Rare American mink captured on Long Island after three decades

In early August, Peter Janow, a retired Marine pilot and founder of Long Island Nature Corps, placed a trail camera near Northport’s North Shore that captured a creature later confirmed as an American mink. After sifting through months-old footage, Janow forwarded two photos and a brief video to Seatuck Environmental Association wildlife biologist Mike Bottini, who affirmed the identification. This marks the first documented American mink on Long Island since a 1996 report that lacked photographic evidence.

The species, weighing between 1.5 and 3.5 pounds, hunts fish, frogs and small mammals in wetlands that remain protected on the island. Bottini noted that the cause of the mink’s long-term decline is unknown, but the state permits trapping of mink, gray fox, striped skunk and long-tailed weasel, which could affect populations. The finding suggests a possible shift in local wildlife dynamics.