Conservation groups led by the Vincent Wildlife Trust are mapping connectivity in Romania’s southern Carpathians to gauge whether the critically endangered European mink can return after vanishing from the region.
Using satellite imagery and ecological data, researchers have pinpointed three corridors that could allow the species to move between the Delta and the mountains, but no mink have been released yet.
The European mink now occupies less than 20 % of its historic range, surviving only in isolated pockets in France, Spain, and the Danube Delta, according to the Trust.
Researchers are also evaluating the Delta’s lone Romanian population, conducting field surveys to estimate its size and health, a prerequisite for any future translocation.
The feasibility study was unveiled at the 35th European Mustelid Colloquium in Cluj‑Napoca on 12 September 2024, where Patrick Wright highlighted the modelling results and potential release sites.
If the models confirm suitable habitat and the Delta population remains robust, a formal translocation plan will be drafted for early 2025, with the first release contingent on securing a sufficient source population, while local fishermen in Tulcea hope the project will signal healthier wetlands.