The American mink (Neogale vison) in the floodplain of the Lower Prypiat River (Belarus)

The settlement of Neogale vison in the territory of modern Belarus began 70 years ago. The expansion of N. vison determined the displacement of the native Mustela lutreola. At present, N. vison is an abundant, non-native game species in Belarus, including the territory of Lower Prypiat. A review of N. vison sightings in two administrative districts in the Lower Prypiat floodplain (Kalinkovichi and Mozyr) in 2023 was carried out. A total of 5 sightings of N. vison in the Mozyr district were collected and presented in the report. In Prypiat, there are cases when individual animals of N. vison show trustfulness to people, which is not typical for completely wild animals. The probable source for replenishment of the local population is fur farming, which is also supported by data from geneticists. In this connection, it is obvious that different colour morphs described by the author are regularly recorded in the region.