Man, 21, charged over release of livestock from farms.

21-year-old charged in connection with releasing livestock from two farms

A man has been charged in connection with the release of buffalo and horses from two farms in Fife earlier this month, police have confirmed.

An appeal for information was launched following the incident at the Buffalo Farm and Shawsmill Stables on the outskirts of Kirkcaldy on March 4, with CCTV footage appearing to show a man releasing the animals from their enclosures.

More than 120 buffalo and several horses were able to roam free as a result, although very few made it to areas where motorists may have been put at risk.

A number of horses suffered injuries after slipping on ice as they made their way on to the main road however, while the stress of the ordeal caused one buffalo to give birth to a calf dangerously early.

Following appeals from the farm owners for information on social media, a man subsequently came forward to confess what he had done and apologised in person, with the matter left in the hands of police.

Police Scotland revealed yesterday a 21-year-old man has been charged in relation to the incident in the early hours of March 4, and a report is to be sent to the procurator fiscal.

It has not yet been divulged what the man has been charged with, but he is expected to appear at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court at a later date.

The CCTV footage showed a man uncoupling gates and staggering around the farms in question, and at one stage the person could be seen falling over.

Steven Mitchell, who runs the Buffalo Farm, later said that the man had been to see him in person and had expressed “genuine remorse”.

“I don’t feel it is appropriate to name and shame the person – they have to live with the damage they have caused and they are very aware their actions have caused a lot of pain and distress,” he said at the time.

Picture: Steven Brown. The incident earlier this month is said to have caused the animals stress.