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EDMONTON – Police in central Alberta are investigating the bizarre disappearance of a herd of cows.

The Alberta RCMP Livestock Investigation Unit is looking for the public’s help tracking down 59 mixed-breed heifers, believed to have been stolen from a farm in the Provost area. The missing bovine are worth about $80,000.

A monthly headcount revealed they were gone. A ground and air search turned up nothing, and police say there’s no evidence the cows escaped through a fence or moved to any other fields.

The cows were put out to pasture on an 80 acre parcel of land near the village of Czar, where the owner watered and fed them twice a day.

Police suspect the animals were taken by someone who knew the routine. It’s believed the cows were loaded into a trailer capable of hauling 60 head of cattle.

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The animals are tagged and branded, which makes them difficult to sell at inspected livestock markets.

All of the markets in Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C. have been notified, but none have reported any of the cows being brought in. Investigators suspect the herd has not been slaughtered, and may be anywhere in Alberta or even out of province.

If you have any information, please contact your local RCMP detachment or submit your tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).

If your information leads to an arrest, you qualify for a cash award up to $2,000.