Romping through the fields and mucking around the streams and creeks I had no idea how close I was to mink. They hunt primarily at night and are seldom seen.

Not until I started rehabilitating wildlife decades later did I come across a live mink. He had been mortally wounded by a car and his fractured spine left me no treatment choice but euthanasia. Since then I have seen several of these ferret relatives. Each time I felt elated and privileged for the opportunity.

Their bright eyes exceed the shine of their fur. They possess a keenness and intelligence that makes their wide-ranging survival understandable.

They can be found from Florida to Alaska. And even though the mink is raised and sold for its fur at over $150 million per year in the United States I can't help but believe their greatest value is in the wild, a solid cord in the web of life.

If you come across a mink or other wild animal in need of care, call Piedmont Wildlife Center for assistance at 572-9453.

Bobby Schopler is a veterinarian and a board member of the Piedmont Wildlife Center