SULTAN — The good news for owners of a mink farm where about 10,000 of the furry creatures were freed by animal rights activists is that 9,000 have been recovered.

The bad news is that many of the animals brought back to Roesler Brothers Fur Farm since the break-in Aug. 25 have turned cannibal.

Normally, only siblings are caged together, but workers cannot readily determine which of the recaptured animals are related, said Kate Roesler, wife of a co-owner of the farm.

"The mink are fine when they’re litter mates together, but when they’re not they’re quite vicious and they’re cannibals," Roesler said. "They do eat each other, and that’s what we’re battling."

In the days following the break-in, for which the Animal Liberation Front claimed responsibility in an e-mail, starving minks attacked exotic birds, a flock of chickens and a Labrador retriever.

Now officials say those calls are tapering off, although a few mink have been seen recently eating fish along local rivers, and one turned up last week at a fruit stand on the edge of town.

About 1,000 are still missing.

The FBI is investigating, and no arrests have been reported.

Fur Commission USA is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrests and convictions of those responsible.

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