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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 intense national scrutiny.
- 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, still 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 career in Hollywood, supplying animals for 'Superman' and 'Lassie'.
- Over two years, the hoax generated about $1.3 million, funding Gene Holter's Wild Animal Show and the eventual 55-acre Gene Holter Movieland Animal Park in Bloomington, California.
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22 Articles
22 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources22
Leaning Left0Leaning Right9Center10Last UpdatedBias Distribution53% Center
Bias Distribution
- 53% of the sources are Center
53% Center
C 53%
R 47%
Factuality
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