Livestock theft is becoming more common in South Africa

“LIVESTOCK THEFT has been around since Biblical times,” says Herkie Viljoen, a farmer on the outskirts of Bethlehem, a suitably named town in the Free State. But in recent years it has reached ungodly proportions. Standing next to a huge map of the province he points to small red circles with black dots that represent stolen animals. In some places it looks as if the farms are covered in poppy fields.In South Africa 218,000 farm animals—cows, sheep or goats—were taken in the 12 months to March, up from 180,000 five years earlier. The total loss was worth about 900m rand ($60m) in each of the past two years, around twice as much as the annual black market value of poached rhino horn. Losses this year will probably be even higher, as the economic effects of the pandemic make it harder to earn a lawful living.