{"id":76138,"date":"2020-12-15T06:23:08","date_gmt":"2020-12-15T13:23:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=76138"},"modified":"2025-07-29T04:24:58","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T09:24:58","slug":"wild-utah-mink-tests-positive-for-coronavirus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/12\/15\/wild-utah-mink-tests-positive-for-coronavirus\/","title":{"rendered":"Wild Utah Mink Tests Positive For Coronavirus"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AmericanAmerican Mink near a creek bank \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/160, ISO 1250, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The first case of a wild animal having the coronavirus has occurred right here in Utah when a wild American Mink tested positive for Covid-19. According to news reports the mink was near a mink farm here in northern Utah. Earlier in the year mink farms in Utah had thousands of their mink test positive for the coronavirus.<\/p>\n

First case of coronavirus detected in wild animal<\/span><\/a> – BBC.com<\/p>\n

Utah mink is the first animal in the wild found with the coronavirus<\/span><\/a> – National Geographic<\/p>\n

A wild mink in Utah is the first wild animal anywhere to test positive for COVID-19, researchers say<\/span><\/a> – Salt Lake Tribune<\/p>\n

The mink in the image above was photographed in September in Summit County high in the Wasatch Mountains.<\/p>\n

Mink in farms around the globe have tested positive for the coronavirus and thousands upon thousands of mink have been killed because of it.<\/p>\n

\"Long-tailedLong-tailed Weasel standing next to water at Farmington Bay WMA \u2013 Nikon D500, f6.3, 1\/3200, ISO 1000, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

From the Salt Lake Tribune article:<\/p>\n

The Center for Biological Diversity similarly raised concerns.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cScientists have worried that the coronavirus would be passed from escaped factory farmed mink to wild mink,\u201d said Lori Ann Burd, director of the center\u2019s environmental health program. \u201cGiven the risk that this nightmare scenario is unfolding in Utah, we urge officials in every state with mink farms to take aggressive measures to ensure that this horrible disease does not decimate wildlife populations.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

I’m concerned for our wild American Mink and have begun to wonder of the coronavirus could be passed to the other native mustelids here in Utah.<\/p>\n

\"AdultAdult Long-tailed Weasel in its snow white winter coat \u2013 Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/500, ISO 640, +1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Native mustelids in Utah include mink, badgers, skunks, martens, weasels, and river otters. I have seen mink and long-tailed weasels in the same habitats when I have been out photographing birds and wildlife. I’ve also seen badgers and weasels in the same habitat.<\/p>\n

If mink are susceptible to the coronavirus I have to wonder if our other native mustelids are as well.<\/p>\n

\"AmericanAmerican Badger next to its burrow – Nikon D300, f11, 1\/800, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 200mm, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

The strain of coronavirus that was found in Utah’s mink farms has the exact sequencing as the wild mink that tested positive.<\/p>\n

I hope that I am just worrying about our native weasels, badgers, skunks, mink, and otter for nothing but this is 2020 and I am not counting anything out.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a><\/span> to see more of my American Mink photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n

Other animals including captive Lions, Tigers, and Snow Leopards have tested positive for the coronavirus as well as some dogs and cats.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’m concerned for our wild American Mink and have begun to wonder of the coronavirus could be passed to the other native mustelids here in Utah.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":131565,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1764,7593,1022,697,1157,1731,26,773],"tags":[10755,4004,4458,7595,9879,5128,4054,10754,9385,3843,4175,4109,2416,1632,4094,7598,7599,2777,4784,1162,7594,10461,4470,4891,4188,953,4459,6917,3996,2774,2775,2776],"class_list":["post-76138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-badger","category-american-mink","category-davis-county-utah","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-long-tailed-weasels","category-summit-county-utah","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-10755","tag-adult","tag-american-badger","tag-american-mink","tag-badger","tag-badgers","tag-burrow","tag-coronavirus","tag-covid-19","tag-creek","tag-fog","tag-grasses","tag-long-tailed-weasel","tag-mammals","tag-marsh","tag-mink","tag-minks","tag-mustelid","tag-mustelids","tag-neogale-frenata","tag-neovison-vison","tag-one-eared","tag-rocks","tag-shore","tag-shoreline","tag-standing","tag-taxidea-taxus","tag-vegetation","tag-water","tag-weasel","tag-weasels","tag-winter-coat"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/american-mink-creek-bank-mia-mcpherson-5302.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-jO2","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":92295,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/07\/16\/male-lazuli-bunting-plus-american-mink-family-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":76138,"position":0},"title":"Male Lazuli Bunting Plus American Mink Family Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 16, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I started my morning off yesterday in the Wasatch Mountains photographing an American Mink family that appeared on the bank of a creek.\u00a0","rel":"","context":"In "American Mink"","block_context":{"text":"American Mink","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/american-mink\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lazuli Bunting male reaching out for grass seeds, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lazuli-bunting-male-foraging-mia-mcpherson-9909.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lazuli-bunting-male-foraging-mia-mcpherson-9909.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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McPherson","date":"July 7, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I watched as the mink dashed across the shallow creek with the sandpiper in its jaws, climbed over a log, and out of my sight. That Spotted Sandpiper is no more.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Spotted Sandpiper adult foraging on a dry creek bed, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/spotted-sandpiper-on-dry-creek-bed-mia-mcpherson-0437.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/spotted-sandpiper-on-dry-creek-bed-mia-mcpherson-0437.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/spotted-sandpiper-on-dry-creek-bed-mia-mcpherson-0437.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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