Members of Danish health authorities dispose of dead mink in a military area near Holstebro in Denmark
Credit: RITZAU SCANPIX /Reuters
Decomposing mink buried in dirt pits in Denmark following a nationwide cull may have contaminated groundwater, a local radio station reported.
The Danish government ordered a cull of some 17 million mink in early November after outbreaks of coronavirus hit hundreds of farms and authorities found mutated strains of the virus among people.
The logistical challenge of disposing of such a large number of dead animals prompted authorities to bury some of the mink in pits in a military area in western Denmark under two metres of soil.
The government later said it wanted to dig up those mink again after some resurfaced from the mass graves, most likely due to gasses from the decomposition process.
A government agency report said groundwater in the area may already have become contaminated and urged authorities to take swift action, Radio4 reported.
Empty cages at a mink farm in Jyllinge, Denmark, following the nationwide cull in November
Credit: Carsten Snejbjerg /Bloomberg
The report was commissioned by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency in late November and was prepared by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland and the Technical University of Denmark, Radio4 said.
The Danish Environmental Protection Agency did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
The agency is currently conducting additional examinations to assess the environmental impact of the graves, including geophysical probes and drillings. It said on Wednesday it expected the results of those early next year.
Before the interring of the dead mink, authorities had said the burials would not pose a risk to drinking water or protected areas.
The macabre burial sites, guarded 24 hours a day to keep people and animals away, have drawn complaints from residents about possible health risks. Newspapers have referred to "zombie mink".
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