Published • loading... • Updated
The wild story of the 1940s 'Lost Canyon' dwarf cattle hoax
Holter said he made up the tale as a joke, then turned the five dwarf cattle into a touring attraction that grossed more than $100,000.
- In October 1949, showman Gene Holter admitted to The Fargo Forum his 'lost canyon' cattle story was a joke, ending five days of maintaining the fabricated narrative.
- Holter had claimed to have 'rescued' five dwarf cattle from a 'lost canyon' via helicopter, later admitting, "I didn't really intend to fool the public, but the story got snowballing."
- A North Dakota state veterinarian determined the cattle were only 2 years old with baby teeth, while a Montana meatpacker confirmed he had sold the animals to Holter.
- Though facing legal charges for importing livestock without proper permits, Holter leveraged the publicity to launch a Hollywood career supplying animals for 'Superman' and 'Lassie'.
- Over two years, the hoax generated about $1.3 million, financing Gene Holter's Wild Animal Show and the 55-acre Gene Holter Movieland Animal Park in Bloomington, California.
Insights by Ground AI
20 Articles
20 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources20
Leaning Left0Leaning Right8Center10Last UpdatedBias Distribution56% Center
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources are Center
56% Center
C 56%
R 44%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
