Please attribute to Detective Senior Sergeant Neville Jenkins
Police are investigating the slaughter and theft of seven cattle from a property in the Port Levy area of Banks Peninsula.
The hides of the animals were left hanging on a fence.
Police believe the person(s) responsible had knowledge of the rural sector and knew what they were doing.
The incident is believed to have occurred sometime between January 20 and January 26, when the matter was reported to Police.
An adjacent property is also missing five Friesian bulls. The loss was discovered around the same period but there is no evidence of them having been slaughtered.
Police would encourage anyone who has information about these incidents to contact Canterbury Police on 03 363 7400, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Rural stock theft prevention
We ask farmers and the rural community to report any unusual activity.
For example, something suspicious could be a vehicle that’s been left on the side of the road, one you hear at odd times during the night, or maybe people walking around who look out of place.
Security options for farmers to consider include installing CCTV or wireless alert systems which can activate an alarm in your house to alert you that someone is in your shed.
These devices are highly effective and can even work in areas across some distance, where there is no cell coverage.
It is also very important that any cattle thefts anywhere in the country are reported because of bio-security.
The cattle stolen had NAIT tags, as all cattle should. This is a national identification tag which records any stock movement.
This is presently critical to the bio-security of the dairy industry, particularly with the current Mycoplasma bovis situation.
ENDS
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