The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association says two cows were shot in a pasture near Cannon Ball, in south-central North Dakota.
The group says a cattle rancher reported that one of his cows had been shot with a small-caliber firearm and the other was shot with “multiple arrows” on Monday. Chief brand inspector Stan Misek says the cows were treated by a veterinarian and may survive.
The cattle group and law enforcement are investigating the incident. The shootings come in the wake of earlier cases involving multiple dead and missing animals in the same vicinity, which is near the site where people have gathered to protest the Dakota Access oil pipeline.
Misek says there is “absolutely no evidence” that the incidents involving livestock are related to the pipeline protests.
