Determination of damage caused by Neovison vison in Los Ríos, Chile

In Chile and the world there are invasive species that affect both natural and anthropic ecosystems. The American mink (Neovison vison), originally from the United States and Canada, was introduced into Chile in order to develop the fur industry. The failure of this industry led to the release of individuals, their dispersal and establishment. The impacts generated by this species include competition for resources with other native mustelids, predation on native and domestic birds and mammals, and the transmission of zoonotic diseases. This implies that funds must be invested in its control and mitigation due to the high level of damage it is causing. Based on the above, the objective of this work is to determine the damage caused by N. vison on poultry in the rural community of the Los Ríos Region. Specifically, we evaluated the variables associated with the characteristics of poultry ownership that affect the occurrence of mink attacks. In addition, the relationship between the damage caused by this species and other predators was established.