One of the first to go out on the ice due to the warm weather, he had a successful fishing trip: he caught pikes weighing up to a kilogram on live bait. "As if sensing our luck, an American mink came to visit us. These predators are increasingly appearing during winter fishing. Minks often steal caught fish," Aibek Algazhoev shared his observations.
According to ecologist Alexander Sosnovsky, the American mink is an introduced species in Kyrgyzstan. It has now settled in many water bodies across the country, including Lake Issyk-Kul.
He stated that the American mink was acclimatized in Kyrgyzstan in the 1960s. It is a versatile predator: it feeds on everything it can overpower, swims and dives excellently, and lives in burrows that it digs itself. Its body length can reach 45 cm, and its weight can be up to 2 kg. By feeding on fish, frogs, and rodents, the American mink displaces local predators.
