Dutch authorities ordered 10,000 mink to be culled in case they became a 'reservoir' of COVID-19 — but animal rights activists have postponed their deaths

REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko

• Authorities in the Netherlands ordered the culling of 10,000 mink after studies suggest that they could be harboring COVID-19, and may later pass it to humans.
• The order came after scientists traced infections from humans to mink — bred in the Netherlands for their fur — and then back to humans.
• The order was due to be carried out on Friday, but a last-minute legal challenge from animal rights activists has put the cull on hold.
• COVID-19 is widely believed to have originated in animals before becoming a human pandemic, but the process is poorly understood. The mink transmission is some of the best evidence yet.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Authorities in the Netherlands ordered the mass slaughter of 10,000 mink for fear that the animals could harbor the coronavirus, and spark a new wave of human infections.

The order was made after scientists there confirmed that the animals — a source of high-end fur products — could infect humans with COVID-19.

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