Disturbing Footage Reveals Animal Abuse at One of Poland’s Largest Mink Farms
An investigation conducted by Anima International has uncovered shocking instances of animal abuse at a mink farm owned by the Dutch Van Ansem family in Poland. The farm, which is one of the largest in the country, was found to have workers engaging in inhumane treatment of the animals, including throwing and striking them against cages and other hard surfaces.
The investigation was carried out by an undercover investigator employed at the farm for five weeks, who captured footage of workers brutally mistreating the minks. The footage shows workers using their bare hands, fists, and clubs to strike the animals on their heads and bodies, as well as throwing them into cages and transport carts with force. The cages were also found to be dirty and covered in fur, with many minks showing signs of severe bleeding.
“This is not an isolated incident, but a systemic issue in the fur farming industry. Time and time again, undercover footage has exposed the cruel treatment of animals on these farms,” said Bogna Wiltowska, Director of Investigations at Anima International. “In this case, we have documented violence against animals on a farm owned by the influential Van Ansem family, who claim to uphold high standards of animal welfare. However, the reality depicted in the footage tells a different story,” Wiltowska added.
The Van Ansem family, who have a long history in mink farming dating back to the 1960s, own multiple farms in Poland, as well as in Romania, the USA, and Latvia. These farms are among the largest in Poland, housing tens of thousands to several hundred thousand minks on average.
Anima International is calling on the Polish government to take action against the fur industry and implement a fur farming ban. “The animal abuse exposed by our activist should be the final push for the Polish government to proceed with the work on the fur farming ban proposal,” said Marta Korzeniak, Campaign Manager at Anima International. “The animals cannot wait any longer – the fur industry is socially unaccepted and harmful. We urge our Prime Minister Donald Tusk to start working on the fur ban bill proposal immediately,” Korzeniak added.
Poland is currently the biggest fur producer in Europe and the second-largest in the world, after China. Despite overwhelming support from the majority of Poles for a fur ban, previous efforts to abolish fur farming in the country have been hindered by the fur lobby. However, a new proposal for a fur ban bill is set to be introduced in the coming weeks, which includes a transitional period of five years and provisions for compensation to farmers. Anima International hopes that the footage from this investigation will serve as a decisive catalyst for the implementation of a fur farming ban in Poland.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Marta Korzeniak
Campaign Manager
Anima International
marta.korzeniak@otwarteklatki.pl
(+48) 884 884 346
Footage, photos, and graphics can be found at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18hRnw2KIG4usdN4xdyqia1js8XdLvh_a?usp=drive_link
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.