The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food says it has received reports of a large number of reported missing and harmed livestock in the state this year, adding to an alarming trend that has been increasing over the past few years.

“Our department has been investigating a substantial amount of cases of missing livestock and suspicious livestock deaths this year,” said Leann Hunting, UDAF animal industry director, in a press release issued last week. “While we don’t know the exact cause of the increase in cases, it is very concerning and we want to raise awareness of these happenings.”

As of July this year, UDAF says it has received missing livestock reports for 77 cattle, five horses/mules, and one sheep/goat; of those 83 animals, seven have been found. The department has also received seven reports of suspicious livestock deaths that are currently under investigation.

Department Spokesperson Bailee Woolstenhulme said only one of those reports has come from Box Elder County, “but even one is too many.”

Woolstenhulme said there have been three reports of missing cattle from neighboring Weber County, and none so far this year from Cache County. She said the majority of the reports have come from Duchesne, Uintah and Tooele counties.

She declined to speculate on the reasons for the increase, noting that most cases of missing livestock go unresolved due to the difficult nature of investigating cases that happen over large swaths of open rangeland.

“A lot of (the animals) are never found,” she said. “They’re just so hard to track down.”

Historical trends indicate that a rise in these occurrences are expected to increase into the fall months, the UDAF news release stated. Livestock producers should be vigilant and herds should be monitored closely. Any instances of missing or harmed livestock should be reported to the local brand inspector.

UDAF is asking the public to be vigilant and watch for any suspicious activity. A reward of $20,000 is offered for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person involved in the theft, mutilation, or malicious killing of livestock. Reports can be made to the UDAF livestock investigator at 435-419-0021.