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Cattle raiding is the act ofstealing live cattle, often several or many at once. InAustralia, such stealing is often referred to asduffing, and the perpetrator as aduffer.[1][2] In other areas, especially inQueensland, the practice is known aspoddy-dodging with the perpetrator known as apoddy-dodger.[3] InNorth America, especially in theWild Westcowboy culture, cattle theft is dubbedrustling, while an individual who engages in it is arustler.[4]
The act of cattle-raiding is quite ancient, first attested over seven thousand years ago,[5] and is one of the oldest-known aspects ofProto-Indo-European culture, being seen in inscriptions on artifacts such as the NorseGolden Horns of Gallehus[6] and in works such as theOld IrishTáin Bó Cúailnge ("Cattle Raid ofCooley"), thepaṇis of theRigveda, theMahabharata cattle raids and cattle rescues;[7] and theHomeric Hymn toHermes, who steals the cattle ofApollo.
In his childhood, theTurco-Mongol conquerorTimur and a small band of followers raided travelers for goods, especially animals such as sheep, horses, and cattle. Around 1363, it is believed that Timur tried to steal a sheep from a shepherd but was shot by two arrows, one in his right leg and another in his right hand, where he lost two fingers. Both injuries disabled him for life. Timur's injuries have given him the names of Timur the Lame and Tamerlane by Europeans.[8]
InGaelic Ireland, cattle raiding, whether in retaliation for an insult under the code of conduct or to keep the whole clan fed during a difficult winter, was a common part of warfare betweenIrish clans, as is often depicted in stories fromIrish mythology, such as theTáin Bó Cúailnge and theTáin Bó Flidhais. Cattle raiding and sellingprotection against theft continued byIrish clan chiefs andrapparees, particularly against the estates ofAnglo-Irish landlords, well into the 18th century in Ireland.[9][10]
Warfare betweenScottish clans was often for very similar reasons and, during the 17th and 18th centuries, manyScottish clan chiefs would similarly operate an extralegalWatch over the cattle herds of theLowland gentry in return forprotection money, which Highland Chiefs similarly used to feed their tenants and clansmen. Any cattle that were stolen from herds under the Chiefs' Watch were either retrieved, or he paid for them in full.[11]
Cattle-raiding by theBorder reivers was a serious problem for many centuries on both sides of theAnglo-Scottish border.
In theAmerican frontier, rustling was considered a serious offense and in some cases resulted invigilantes hanging or shooting the thieves.[12]
Mexican rustlers were a major issue during theAmerican Civil War (1861–1865); the Mexican government was accused of supporting the habit. American rustlers also stole Mexican cattle from across the border. Failure tobrandnew calves facilitated theft.[citation needed]
Conflict over alleged rustling was a major issue in theJohnson County War of 1892 inWyoming.[citation needed]
The transition fromopen range to fenced grazing gradually reduced the practice of rustling in North America. In the 20th century, so called "suburban rustling" became more common, with rustlers anesthetizing cattle and taking them directly to auction. This often takes place at night, posing problems for law enforcement, because on very large ranches it can take several days for the loss of cattle to be noticed and reported. Convictions are extremely rare to nonexistent.[citation needed]
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Cattle raiding became a major issue at the end of the 19th century in Argentina, where cattle stolen duringmalones were taken throughCamino de los chilenos across theAndes toChile, where they were exchanged for alcoholic beverages andfirearms. Several indigenous groups and outlaws, such as theBoroano andRanquel peoples, and thePincheira brothers, ravaged the southern frontier of Argentina in search of cattle. To prevent the cattle raiding, the Argentine government built a system of trenches calledZanja de Alsina in the 1870s. Most cattle raids ended after the military campaigns of theConquest of the Desert in the 1870s, and the following partition ofPatagonia established by theBoundary Treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina.[citation needed]
In a letter to Chilean PresidentManuel Montt Mapuche chiefMañil denounced the plunder of graves in search ofMapuche silver, arson ofMapuche houses and other abuses against Mapuches that were happening in the newly created province. Mañil further accused intendant Villalón con Salbo of becoming rich by cattle theft.[13]
The return of Chilean veterans from theWar of the Pacific coincided with the Chilean Army's crushing ofMapuche resistance in theOccupation of Araucanía (1861–1883). This led to opportunities for bandits and veterans-turned-bandits to immigrate to the newly opened Araucanía territory,[14][15] leading to sudden rise in violence and in a region that was recovering from Chilean-Mapuche warfare.[16] Bandits that immigrated to Araucanía allied with displaced Mapuche and made cattle theft their chief business.[14] Stolen cattle was sold in marketplaces through the region.[14]
ThePokot andSamburuNilotic populations in northwesternKenya often raid each other for cattle.[17] Violent cattle rustling has caused massive loss of lives such as the Monday 12 March 2001 raid among theMarakwet in Murkutwo Location, Elgeyo Marakwet County, suspected to have been caused by thePokot.[18]
Conflict over pastures and cattle raids has been happening betweenDinka andNuer as they battle for grazing their animals.[19][20]
Cattle rustling is a major problem in rural areas ofSouth Sudan. In the state ofJonglei, cattle raids in August 2011 left around 600 people dead. Once again in January 2012, ethnic clashes related to cattle theft killed between 2,000 and 3,000 people and displaced as many as 34,500 in the area aroundPibor.[21]
Cattle rustling is common inNigeria.[22][23][24]
The theft of sheep, goats and cows along with tractors and irrigation equipment, is one of the most difficult problems confronted by farmers inIsrael. About 400 cases are reported annually in the north of the country, and in the south, farmers compare the situation to the Wild West. They suffer millions ofshekels in annual losses.[25] Most of the stolen livestock is taken to theWest Bank, quickly slaughtered and then smuggled back into Israel, where it is sold by butchers to unsuspecting customers.[26]
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