For the first time in 31 years, researchers on Long Island believe they may have finally captured proof that the elusive American mink still exists there. A trail camera set up by local naturalist Peter Janow at the Fuchs Pond complex recorded remarkably clear photos and video of the animal, marking what experts say could be the only photographic record of a mink on Long Island in decades.
Wildlife biologist Mike Bottini, who has led the Long Island Mammal Survey since 2022, said the animal was last reported in 1996, though even that earlier sighting had no photographic evidence. "The mink situation is a shock," Bottini said, admitting that after years of searching with no luck, "I was losing faith."
The discovery is especially significant given how dramatically the species appears to have declined. A comprehensive mammal survey from the early 1960s found mink well distributed throughout Long Island's estuaries and tidal creeks. But when Bottini ran a yearlong trail-camera study on river otters at ten sites back in 2013, not a single mink turned up. Other native mammals, including the gray fox, are believed to have disappeared from the island entirely, while species like the striped skunk and long-tailed weasel are considered extremely rare.
Researchers now hope this new sighting could reignite efforts to track and protect the species before it vanishes from Long Island for good.