CCTV footage showed two men on a motorcycle stealing four fighting cocks worth more than P20,000 from a home in Mangaldan, Pangasinan, in what local officials said was part of a string of similar thefts in the area.

The owner, Joel Catalan, discovered early Tuesday that the four cages in his yard in Barangay Maasin were empty. The birds were taken from his property while he was away, according to the footage reviewed by authorities.

CCTV video showed two men loitering outside Catalan’s fence before one of them got off the motorcycle and walked briefly away, then returned. Minutes later, the same man went to a neighboring house and then entered Catalan’s property. When he came out, he appeared to be carrying items. The two then rode away on a motorcycle without a license plate.

“Kilala na kilala yung kilos ng tao dito kaya tina-timingan lang siguro kung anong oras aalis yung tao,” Catalan said.

Catalan said the thieves appeared to select only high-quality birds, leaving others behind.

“Pinili yung kinuha nila kasi yung hindi maganda, hindi kinuha eh. Noong una, dito ang puntirya eh, hindi maganda ang manok dito kaya lumipat sila sa harap,” he said.

The ropes used to tie the stolen cocks were left beside the cages, Catalan added. He said this was the third time his fighting cocks had been stolen.

Barangay officials said the incident was not isolated.

“Kasi nakita pa namin sa CCTV na dumaan ‘yung may-ari ng manok. Hindi niya naman alam na magnanakaw na pala ‘yung dalawang naka-motor,” barangay councilman Mark Denver Maure, said.

He added that similar thefts had happened before in the village.

“Dati dito sa amin apat din ‘yung kinuha,” he said.

Local officials said there had been previous cases of livestock theft in the area, but no suspects had been arrested so far.

Catalan has filed a complaint with the police. Authorities are verifying the motorcycle seen in the footage, which did not have a license plate.