Thieves steal four pints of bull semen from Minnesota farm - and could sell it for $70,000

Police say they are investigating, but have no suspects

Police said the bull semen was surprisingly valuable (Screengrab via CBS News)

A group of thieves have stolen about four pints of bull semen from a farm in southern Minnesota in the US - and could sell it on for an extraordinary amount of money.

Police in the town of Leroy said they are investigating the theft of a $500 storage container with around 90 filled vials. On the open market, that amount of semen would be worth around $70,000 (£47,000).

According to a report on the NBC News network, the farmer reported the incident to Mower County Sheriff Terese Amazi last week, saying the container and a large number of ready-to-transfer embryos.

The incident happened between 1 and 7 April, while the owner said the only time he and his farm hand were away from the site completely was from 11am to 3.30pm on Easter Sunday.

The goods were stored in an unlocked barn and milking parlour - and police warned farmers to remember that these valuable products would lure criminals.

"There is a market for this," Mower County Chief Deputy Mark May told CBS Local in Minnesota.

"A lot of people bid on it or purchase it instead of transporting their animals to and from site.

"They can purchase this vial of bull semen and inseminate their cow, and I guess it’s just a more reliable way to do it," he said.

Police told the Austin Daily Herald that they currently have no suspects, and that the case has been passed to investigators.