No joking. A gang of thieves in Austria is apparently either brave enough or stupid enough to steal cowbells right off the cows out in the fields.
Police have reported three thefts in the Tyrol region of the country, with at least ten bells, worth over €50 each missing. Police believe that at least two of the thefts are by the same gang.
The motive for the theft is not clear—cowbells are readily available for sale. A police spokesman echoed the thought: “Of course people may wonder why someone would steal a cowbell… They don’t have a high material value… but for the farmers themselves it’s more the sentimental value,”