The elk was hit by a motorist on a road near Arvidsjaur, far northern Sweden, in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

“Someone called the police to say they’d hit an elk with their car and that the elk was dead,” Anna-Lena Hesse, head of information at the Norrbotten police, told The Local.

“We sent out the hunters but they were unable to locate the body. The conclusion was that the elk was stolen.”

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While Hesse admitted the case was “rather unusual”, speculation has been running rife back at police headquarters in Norrbotten.

“Someone suggested that the thieves wanted the body for the meat, but the meat is probably no good anyway after the accident. Someone else speculated that the thieves may have taken the elk meat to use as carrion, but who knows for sure?” Hesse said.

Hunting license holders value an elk at around 7,000 kronor ($1,040), according to the TT new agency.

With no witnesses or leads, police have had to close the case.

“However, we can always reopen it if anyone knows anything, and residents shouldn’t hesitate to contact us if they know anything. But for the meantime, we see no possibility in solving this case,” Hesse told The Local.

“We have more important cases to solve, anyway.”

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Oliver Gee

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