Sheep Rustling: Don’t Be Fleeced

Theft of sheep is perhaps often considered a quaint and antiquated crime by some. Today it is still having massive ramifications for farmers whose flock is taken overnight. For farmers who have been fleeced by sheep rustlers it is no laughing matter: replacing a stock of sheep is a very expensive and time-consuming undertaking.

As reported in The Independent this month, the most recent spate of poaching of these animals hit farms in Somerset[1]. In one case some 240 sheep were stolen from fields near Langport in the early hours, to the acrimony of their owner. There were also four other reports of sheep rustling reported to the Avon & Somerset Police within two weeks late July. This is adding up to thousands of pounds and some big headaches for farmers in the area.

In total in the UK livestock crime is not an uncommon occurrence. According to data from NFU Mutual in 2014 nearly 90,000 livestock were taken by thieves in the UK costing farmers an estimated £6.6 million.[2]

Due to the shear diligence of the rustlers, stolen sheep can be quickly re-tagged so that the dubious nature with which they have been acquired is hidden to prevent a close shave with the law. From here they can sell on the sheep or slaughter them.[3] What’s worse is that in all this the welfare of the sheep is not likely to have been taken into consideration.

Protecting the flock

As with any crime there are ways to help prevent the criminals pulling the wool over your eyes. At SpyCameraCCTV we design and supply CCTV security systems specifically for the purposes of protecting your flock. Check out our exclusive range of farm CCTV security camera kits ideal for monitoring flocks. Each kit uses high quality CCTV cameras and powerful wireless transmitters to send the video back to the house for remote monitoring, recording and alerts. Our kits range from single camera kits to multi-camera recording systems. Whatever the size of your land we are sure to have a farm security solution to suit.

If sheep are too far from the mains power supply, then our battery-powered waterproof wildlife cameras are perfectly equipped covert video recorders for capturing any trespassers on your land. This camera can be deployed and installed in an exterior location for months at a time. Combining sensitive Passive Infra-Red (PIR) sensors and fast triggering times should this camera detect the slightest amount of movement it will capture detailed video footage of the subject. This will catch any rustlers even in the dead of the night.

For farmers left feeling sheepish after their livelihoods have been violated it is time to fight back. Ewe’ll be surprised what difference it makes.

References

[1] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/sheep-rustling-theft-stolen-somerset-village-langport-police-warning-a7158091.html

[2] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-34809198

[3] http://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/13371014.500_sheep_worth_tens_of_thousands_stolen_in_spate_of_livestock_rustling_raids/