Someone just stole $50,000 worth of bull semen. Or, more precisely, someone just stole multiple metal tanks filled with tens of thousands of dollars worth of the stuff. The liquid nitrogen-filled tanks were stolen late Sunday evening from the back of a truck in Turlock, and at -320 degrees Fahrenheit there is a real possibility that unless the criminal mastermind knew exactly what he or she was getting into, they could find themselves in a dangerously sticky (and very cold) situation.
Anthony Reis of Turlock told CBS 13 he spent months collecting the semen, worth just shy of $50K, and that the theft is a huge blow.
“You get to your first dairy and you’re missing half your inventory,” he said. “You’re trying to make a living — the loss of all those units of semen, and probably taken by someone who had no idea what they were stealing, is very frustrating." Reis furthered that "[to] have someone just come and take your livelihood is very frustrating."
In conversation with the channel, farm owner John Azevedo noted that this wasn't just any bull semen. Rather, this was some top-of-the-line spooge.
“The genetics that these bulls have in them is out of the top one percent of the world population,” explained Azevedo. “Over 70 to 75 percent of all cattle in the U.S. is inseminated artificially,” he helpfully added.
The 3,500 units of semen contained within the tanks is enough to impregnate over 1,000 cattle, reports CBS 13.
“To have a bull that’s that high in the list" — apparently one of the bulls involved is considered the fifth best in the world — "and to have that semen stolen from an allocated bull like that, that’s hard to replace,” noted Reis.
As for the thieves? Well, they may end up getting more than they bargained for.
"If this liquid nitrogen was to touch their skin — their hands, their fingers, their eyes — they could be blinded, they could get 3rd degree burns," Reis said. "It's a very dangerous product that needs to be handled by professionals. So, whoever got this, they better be careful."
