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The group that has claimed responsibility for freeing thousands of mink in Davis County is considered a terrorist group.
The FBI says the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) is a domestic terrorist organization that tries to bring about social and political change through the use of force and violence. It says in recent years, the ALF has become one of the most active extremist elements in the United States.
In a press release, the ALF claims three members of the group in Utah vandalized Lodder Mink Farm in Kaysville early Sunday. It says the members released thousands of mink, destroyed breeding records, vandalized trucks and equipment and damaged fences.
Animal officers have been picking up mink ever since, spraying down the dehydrated animals with water. The fur commission is offering a $100,000 reward for information that leads to a conviction in the case.
The FBI says estimates of damage and destruction in the U.S. claimed by the ALF during the past 10 years top $45 million. Despite the destructive aspects of ALF's operations, its operational philosophy discourages acts that harm "any animal, human and nonhuman."
E-mail: mrichards@ksl.com
