Twenty-six calves have been stolen from four different farming operations in southern Alberta in recent months, and the RCMP are seeking help to find the culprits.
The calves were stolen between Feb. 19 and April 22, according to the Southern Alberta RCMP Livestock section. All were young animals still nursing, which makes it an unusual case when it comes to cattle theft.
“The only thing that makes sense to me is that they’re being taken as replacement animals by other farmers and ranchers who’ve had calves die at birth or in the first day or so and they’re trying to essentially foster those calves onto the mother who’s lost her baby,” said Cpl. Curtis Peters.
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“It’s an unusual amount. We do get instances like that from time to time but this is an unusually high number for sure.”
In the most recent case April 22, six calves were stolen from a farm on the Blood Reserve. On April 1, a two-day-old calf was taken from a calving barn in the Cardston area and on March 31, two calves were reported stolen from a different Cardston area farm.
The biggest theft was reported Feb. 19 by a rancher in the Picture Butte area, who said that 17 calves had been taken over the course of a month.
Evidence indicates theft rather than predators as the cause of the missing calves.
“The tracks make us believe that we’ve got some theft taking place. In one instance the animal was taken right out of a barn,” said Peters.
RCMP do not yet know if the thefts were done by the same person or people.
“We’re hopeful that somebody out there might have some information and bring it forward. That will be key for this investigation,” said Peters.
Anyone with information is asked to call the RCMP at 403-420-4972 or Crimestoppers at 800-222-8477.
