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Unknown perpetrators stole a young goat from a pasture in Maintal. Owner Botho Reichel is now hoping that the police investigation will be successful.
Maintal – On Saturday afternoon (April 25th) Botho Reichel was last with his herd of goats, which are on the grounds of an orchard in Maintal in the Main-Kinzig district. He has been keeping the herd since 2018, which now includes 28 animals, including ten fawns that were born in February. And one of those fawns is now gone.
Unknown people steal goat from pasture in Main-Kinzig district
“When I came to the herd on Monday, I counted the little ones first, as always. And I only came up with nine animals instead of ten,” Reichel reported to the Fulda newspaper. He then searched the entire area several times. Without success, the little kid disappeared.
He has been keeping his animals for eight years and none have ever gotten away, says Botho Reichel. That's why he quickly suspected that the cub must have been stolen. Especially since he can remember some events in the previous days that support this suspicion of theft.
For example, a neighbor observed two strangers apparently intending to steal a sheep from a neighboring pasture. There are also video recordings of this that are now available to the police, said Botho Reichel. He also received a call shortly before the alleged theft. Someone wanted to buy one of his animals to slaughter.
“I rejected that. The animals are my hobby, I don't sell them,” reports Botho Reichel. Now he suspects that someone has simply helped himself without permission. Of course, he cannot say whether this is actually the case, nor whether the call and the alleged theft are connected.
Owner Bodo Reichel is worried about the missing young goat
“It’s just annoying that such a small animal is now gone,” says the Maintaler. And not knowing what happened to him. Was the kid actually slaughtered, or was someone simply looking for a pet? Botho Reichel doesn't know and fears he won't see his goat again – despite reporting it to the police.
However, he still doesn't want to increase the security precautions at his pasture. He used to install wildlife cameras, but they went off so often that the notifications eventually became too much for him. Because the orchards and the animals that stand there are an attraction for walkers, families or daycare groups.
Accordingly, there is often a lot going on there, at least during the day. At night, however, no one is around. “You just can’t prevent something from happening,” says Reichel. There have been smaller incidents with him in the past, for example unknown people have thrown stones into the enclosure – presumably at the goats.
Police are looking for witnesses who can provide information about the theft
However, no animal has ever gotten away. According to the police report, the pasture is located in the area of the extended Ledergasse in the Bischofsheim district of Maintal. The alleged theft must have occurred between Saturday (April 25th), 5 p.m., and Monday (April 27th), 4 p.m.
It is not yet known how the perpetrators transported the animal. Anyone with information who may have observed suspicious people or vehicles during the period mentioned is asked to contact the Maintal police station on (06181) 43020.
Meanwhile, a similar act occurred in the Rhön: In Poppenhausen, unknown people stole a cow from a pasture. The calf was left alone. The police assume that the cow was deliberately led out of the paddock and probably transported away with a suitable livestock trailer.
