By ANEEKA SIMONIS
AT LEAST four calves have been left to rot in Bayles, dumped over the side of two bridges located near homes – including the home of a traumatised five-year-old who made the gruesome discoveries.
Little Tynan Oldham was riding on his tandem bike with mum, Melissa Oldham, on Tuesday 3 May when the first dead calf was spotted dumped over the side of the Murray Drain Road bridge.
In plain sight among the tall grass, the Friesian calf would be no more than three weeks old.
Tynan’s grandfather, Alan Oldham, said the sighting really shook the youngster.
“He was really upset about it. I had to try get rid of it.”
Tynan did not want to cycle that side of the property again, and on Wednesday 4 May, he and his mum took off in the other direction on their tandem bike only to discover three more dead bodies.
One of the calves has been dropped from height over the Scanlon Drain Road bridge, landing face down on a rocky slope.
The other two – all estimated to be between two to three weeks of age – are huddled together metres away from creek, one marked with a red cross on its back and potentially broken limbs.
The sight has truly devastated the Bayles family who have cared for cows for 16 years, and are currently hand-rearing three young calves whose mother died of illness.
When grandmother Rosalie Oldham looked at the calves still at the dump site on Friday 6 May, she shuddered at the idea they may have been flung over the bridge alive.
“They have no signs of rigor mortis as if they died on the property before they were dumped,” she hypothesised.
It raised some very serious, glaring questions.
“It’s upsetting. I don’t know why you would do it. It makes me think there could be a problem with the owner’s farm or they can’t afford to keep them,” she said.
“When a cow dies, you bury them. If you don’t want them, give them to Victorian Livestock Exchange in Pakenham. Don’t dump them.”
It was a mystery to Tynan why someone would do that to any animal.
With tears in his eyes, he turned to his mum the day after discovering the calf and said, “It’s not respect(ing) the cow”.
This was the worst case of animal cruelty seen by the Oldhams since moving to the area more than 15 years ago.
They hope whoever is dumping the animals – dead or alive – does not do it again, in Bayles or anywhere else.
Council were notified of the animal cruelty act on Wednesday, 4 May. It is hoped they will pick them up soon.
The RSPCA said they had received a report on Friday about four dead calves by the side of the road in Bayles.
“We were unable to identify ownership of the calves and there was insufficient evidence to substantiate cruelty,” a spokesperson said.
“We have notified the council to ensure the bodies are removed.”
Cardinia Shire Council’s operations manager Charles Taveira said on Monday 9 May that the council was notified of the dead calves in the drainage system in Bayles on Thursday 5 May.
Mr Teviera said the calves were within the Melbourne Water drainage system and the council had requested that Melbourne Water remove the carcasses.
