Claes Roempke, the 47-year-old owner of the cattle, is also baffled at his loss, which he values at around 700,000 kronor ($107,600).

“When I opened the gate I saw the animals were gone,” Roempke told the Expressen newspaper.

“I have no idea where they’ve been taken. I hope they are alive and are ok.”

Police officers visited the farm in Stjärnhov on Thursday, but were unable to figure out how almost 70 cows were able to leave the farm without anyone noticing.

“We have the ID number of all the cows and will match them with the Jordbruksverket (the Swedish Board of Agriculture) register,” explained Thomas Tellebro of the Katrineholm police to the paper.

“But it is hard to get hold of people during the Christmas holiday period.”

While it remains unclear whether the cows were stolen or whether they simply fled, one thing is known for sure – on the day of the disappearance, Roempke was about to send them to the slaughterhouse himself.

The farmer is now urging the public to help by sending in any information to the police.

Meanwhile, the police are focusing on what may have happened to the cattle now.

“It’s not easy to get rid of cows. If someone comes with 69 cows to a typical slaughterhouse, the cows must be registered and that’s how the slaughterhouse sees where the cows came from,” Tellebro told the paper.

TT/The Local/og

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