That’s my lunch! Fisherman can only watch as cheeky mink makes off with his catch of the day

  • A pesky mink snuck up on a fisherman and stole one of his fish
  • He then watched in amusement as the mink scrambled away 
  • The tiny creature refused to give up despite grappling with the slippery fish

It can be a dog eat dog world out in the wild.

So when this feisty little mink had the chance to score a delicious fish without putting in the hard work of catching it, it didn't hesitate. 

A man fishing in Suvorovskiy Rayon, western Russia, was stunned when the mink stole one of his freshly caught fish and made off with it in its mouth.

The determined little mink moves quickly after it steals one of the freshly caught fish from the fisherman's pile

The determined little mink moves quickly after it steals one of the freshly caught fish from the fisherman's pile

The video, filmed in January, shows the wicked mink steal the fish from a pile and then frantically run away over a stretch of ice with the catch in its teeth.

The slippery surface only makes the tiny mammal's challenge more difficult as it scrambles away from the man, who is following and filming in amusement. 

The fish, which is still alive and almost double the size of the mink, can be seen squirming and writhing as it's dragged along the ice, making the pursuit even harder.  

It struggles to keep the writhing fish between its teeth as it scampers away over the stretch of ice

It struggles to keep the writhing fish between its teeth as it scampers away over the stretch of ice

The fisherman is only amused and impressed by the small mammal's efforts and watches on as the mink continues its pursuit

The fisherman is only amused and impressed by the small mammal's efforts and watches on as the mink continues its pursuit

FERRET, OTTER... THE MINK LINK 

The European mink, also known as the Russian mink, is part of the mustelid family which also includes otters, weasels, ferrets and badgers.  

Due to an ongoing reduction in population, European minks are listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 

According to the IUCN, habitat degradation loss and the effects of introduced species mean the decline rate is expected to exceed 80 per cent over the next 10 years. It has also been threatened by fur hunting. 

When the mink finally shoots off and gains some decent ground, the fisherman bursts into fits of laughter. 

The mink very nearly reaches the safe haven of the surrounding shrubbery, only to lose its grasp on the salty treat once again. 

But after a few moments, the mink proves it's not giving up without a fight and scuttles back out to retrieve its dinner.

It struggles to pull the large fish over a mound of snow but keeps its eye intently on the prize. 

The video ends as the mink continues to grapple with the large fish, so here's hoping it was eventually able to enjoy its stolen lunch in peace.

After finally reaching the edge of the ice and the safety of shrubbery, the mink hits a difficult patch and can't seem to make off with the fish successfully

After finally reaching the edge of the ice and the safety of shrubbery, the mink hits a difficult patch and can't seem to make off with the fish successfully

The video ends as the mink continues to grapple with the large fish, so here's hoping it was eventually able to enjoy its stolen lunch

The video ends as the mink continues to grapple with the large fish, so here's hoping it was eventually able to enjoy its stolen lunch