In a quiet stretch of central‑west Queensland, police are tracing the disappearance of 5,500 Dorper sheep that vanished from a Blackall‑Isisford Road property sometime between February and May 2026. The flock, worth more than $1.7 million, included both ewes and rams, and carried white National Livestock Identification System tags that should have recorded every move.
Dorper sheep, prized for their hardiness in hot, dry climates, are a staple of Queensland’s meat industry. The NLIS tags are meant to trace livestock across the supply chain, but investigators say the missing animals were never recorded in the system after their alleged theft.
The theft’s scale also throws a wrench into the livelihoods of local growers. A farmer from nearby Isisford, who runs a 12,000‑hectare lease, said the missing flock represents a 20 % drop in his yearly output. With stock routinely moved by truck to saleyards, the trail can span hundreds of kilometres, and detectives are asking anyone who saw a flock matching the description—or any unusual transport activity—during the theft window to come forward.
Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Elliot said the loss is a stark reminder of the economic hit rural producers face when large flocks go missing. He added that the investigation is now turning to transport operators and nearby producers for logs that might reveal the flock’s route. The next phase will involve cross‑checking NLIS records and interviewing industry workers, with a deadline set for June 15 to submit any leads.