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Bonsmara cattle are a high-quality South African beef breed, and these valuable examples of scientific breeding hold a hefty price tag. The cattle are of such high quality that, according to Farmer’s Weekly, Derek Ralfe of Up George Bonsmaras sold a Bonsmara bull for a record price of R1.8 million in 2018.
With the above in mind, three thieves thought they could get rich quick by stealing a few of these prized animals.
However, Lieutenant Colonel Nqobile Gwala explains that the stolen cattle were recovered on 8 January 2022 during a 12-hour operation conducted by the Anti-Stock Theft Task Team and Ithemba Security. As a result of their efforts, the team arrested three men near Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, for stealing 15 Bonsmara Cattle.
“The team was following up on information about cattle that were stolen at a farm in Normandien,” she says.
The team then travelled to Normandien, where the 15 hidden Bonsmara cattle were discovered.
Assisting law enforcement, local farmers helped with the horses used in operation. Mornè Potgieter, Ithemba Security’s Operational Director, describes the operation as a success, noting that law enforcement has tracked the suspects since 2021. He adds that the cattle recovered are worth an estimated R220 000.
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Images credit: SAPS
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