Calves stolen from Freetown, P.E.I., farm, RCMP say

RCMP are investigating after a farmer in Freetown, P.E.I., says two beef calves were stolen from his barn.

Jaron Wood saystwo of his seven calves were missing from his barn on Sunday morning, and it's clear the animals didn't just escape.

"The barn was all closed up on the inside," he said.

"All the gates were up. And the door to the barn was closed. And then there's still the corral they'd have to go through electric fencing plus five strands of barbed wire."

Wood says he also found new tire tracks on the side of the road, two sets of shoe prints all the way down to the barn, and the rope on the corral gate tied differently than the way he'd left it.

"I was surprised. Like, who'd want to take two beef cross calves? It was totally unexpected for me."

Wood has a herd of about 40 animals in total.

Valuable animals

RCMP say they're analysing shoe prints and tire tracks, and plan to review camera footage from the Confederation Bridge to see if they can identify a vehicle leaving the Island with the calves.

They're also calling on the public to keep their eyes open for the young cattle one is roughly 130 pounds, the other around 200 pounds.

The two calves are worth approximately $1,000.

"[There's] a lot of work involved, and difficult to hide and difficult to take care of," said RCMP Sgt. Kevin Baillie.

"But these animals are quite valuable, so that may have been some of the motivation for the theft."

Anyone with information is asked to contact the East Prince RCMP or P.E.I. Crime Stoppers.

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