A farmer in New Zealand, is trying to figure out how thieves managed to steal 500 cows from his barn.
Canterbury Police said that they received a report on Thursday, that up to 500 cows had been stolen from an Ashburton farm.
The owner of the farm does not know when the theft occurred as he counted his cows several months ago. This week, when he counted his cows, he only had 800.
Investigators believe that the thief stole the cows over a period of time, as it is not possible to transport 500 cows at once without being noticed.
The farmer, who was not identified, said that each cow is worth around $1,100. He put the total value of the stolen cows at around $500,000.
Police urged anyone with information to come forward. So far, no arrests have been made.
Senior Sergeant Scott Banfield from the Ashburton police reminded farmers to ensure that they are taking measures to help prevent stock thefts.
“All farmers should be checking their boundaries and fence lines on a regular basis. It’s unlikely the theft of hundreds of animals could be completed at once, and is more likely that multiple thefts was carried out over a period of time.
“Regardless of the size of your property, ideally stock numbers should be checked once a week. Farmers should also be keeping an eye out for unexpected signs of herding near their boundary lines too,” Banfield said.
