From sheep duffing to cattle rustling, how big a problem is livestock theft in Australia?

‘Given the average size of Australian farms, it’s hard to have eyes on all four corners of the place.’ Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Depending on your point of view, Waltzing Matilda should be either the national anthem or declared Australia’s creepiest song.

It is true that ballads about homeless people who steal sheep and then drown themselves while being chased by police are not usually the stuff of children’s songs.