Stolen cattle recovered in Sask.

A 48-year-old man faces criminal charges after Saskatchewan and Alberta RCMP recovered 10 head of cattle that were stolen in Thorhild, Alta., and taken to a pasture near Martensville, Sask.

The recovered cattle are worth more than $25,000.

In February, the Alberta RCMP Livestock Investigations Unit launched an investigation after 30 cattle were reported missing from a herd in Thorhild. Initial investigations indicated the cattle may have been moved out of the province.

Based on preliminary information, investigators believed the cattle were destined for Martensville, RCMP said in a media release.

RCMP livestock investigators from Alberta and Saskatchewan, including members from the Martensville detachment and Livestock Services of Saskatchewan, executed a search warrant at properties in the Rural Municipality of Corman Park on March 16.

“We were asked to check some local properties for these particular cows with that particular brand,” said Cpl. Owen Third, Saskatchewan RCMP’s livestock investigator.

Ten of the missing cattle were identified and seized based on registered Alberta livestock brands. They were in a pasture with other livestock.