Ahead of Eid al-Adha, Karangasem Residents' Cattle Stolen

Ahead of Eid al-Adha, cattle theft is causing concern among residents in Karangasem. In the past week, four cows belonging to residents in the Abang district were reported missing. Two of them were pregnant. The Karangasem Police Public Relations Head, Ipda I Nengah Artono, said two reports of cattle theft had been received from residents in the Abang district, Karangasem. ‘Both reports occurred in the Abang district, one in Desa Ababi and one in Desa Datah,’ Artono told reporters on Friday (22 May 2026). In Desa Ababi, two cows belonging to a resident named Wayan Putu disappeared from the pen. One was pregnant, while the other was a male cow intended for sale soon. A similar case occurred in Desa Datah, where two cows belonging to I Nengah Pegeg were stolen. One cow was pregnant, while the other was a female cow that was not pregnant. ‘The losses are estimated to run into tens of millions of rupiah. At one location, the losses alone reach tens of millions,’ Artono said. Police suspect the perpetrators carried out the theft at night. In the morning, when the owners went to feed, the cattle were no longer in the pens. Initially, owners thought the tying rope had come loose. However, after searching, the cattle could not be found, and the case was reported to Abang Police Station. ‘As of now, police personnel are still conducting investigations to locate the perpetrators. But so far there has been no breakthrough,’ Artono said. Police urged farmers to increase vigilance as cattle theft is prone to occur ahead of Eid al-Adha. Farmers were also asked to move the cattle temporarily to locations closer to home so that supervision is easier.