A case of cow mutilation has left an Alberta family angry and perplexed.
Keren Farquharson, who lives near Madden northwest of Calgary, made the grisly discovery on the afternoon of June 6 when she found a cow that looked like it was sleeping in the tall grass. Closer examination showed that an eye, udder, vagina and uterus had been removed. The cow had just started to bloat, so she does not believe it was dead for long.
“How did this poor thing die? There is no entry or exit wound for a bullet,” she said.
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The cow belonged to her brother, Don Farquharson.
Local RCMP was called in, and one constable suggested the cow ate a poisonous plant, bloated and exploded. The other officer had livestock experience and said the death looked suspicious. However, the officers could find no evidence of a gunshot or attack and no tracks.
Farquharson now wants to know how prevalent this cases are. She said a registry should be set up so that cases can be investigated and explained and compensation possibly paid.
“There is no recourse. This is a crime,” she said.
Trevor Tychowsky, president of Alberta Rural Crime Watch and an auxiliary RCMP officer, said these cases occur with no explanation.
Each case should be reported to the local RCMP so they can be recorded, he added.
“Unfortunately, sometimes I wish this stuff would be investigated a little bit further,” he said.
“Can you prove beyond a reasonable doubt it was a crazy neighbour or what it was? No, but if there are multiple cases, it definitely heightens their search.… If they report it, hopefully we can track it. I really think a lot of farmers won’t report that stuff.” he said.
People can also ask Fish and Wildlife officers to examine the carcass and possibly determine what happened.
“These cattle mutilation things are unexplainables,” Tychowsky said.
“Every once in a while you hear about it and realize certain things just do not add up.”
Neighbours need to be vigilant and report suspicious activity in the community.
He advises rural communities to form rural crime watch areas and start posting property with yellow crime watch signs. The signs may act as a deterrent and encourage potential criminals to move on.
Contact barbara.duckworth@producer.com
