Animal Mutilation Mystery

Animal Mutilation is the killing and mutilation of animals under unusual, usually bloodless, and anomalous circumstances. Usually, but not exclusively cattle. Worldwide, sheep, horses, goats, pigs, rabbits, cats, dogs, bison, deer and elk have been reported mutilated with similar bloodless excisions; often an ear, eyeball, jaw flesh, tongue, lymph nodes, genitals and rectum are removed.

The earliest known documented outbreak of unexplained livestock deaths occurred in early 1606: “…about the city of London and some of the shires adjoining. Whole slaughters of sheep have been made, in some places to number 100, in others less, where nothing is taken from the sheep but their tallow and some inward parts, the whole carcasses, and fleece remaining still behind. Of this sundry conjectures, but most agree that it tendeth towards some fireworks.” The outbreak was noted in the official records of the Court of James I of England.[1]Charles Fort collected many accounts of cattle mutilations that occurred in England in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. John Keel mentioned investigating animal mutilation cases in 1966 (while with Ivan T. Sanderson) that were being reported in the Upper Ohio River Valley, around Gallipolis, Ohio.[2] The phenomenon remained largely unknown outside cattle-raising communities until 1967, when the Pueblo Chieftain in Pueblo, Colorado, published a story about a horse named Lady near Alamosa, Colorado, that was mysteriously killed and mutilated. The story was republished by the wider press and distributed nationwide; this case was the first to feature speculation that extraterrestrial beings and unidentified flying objects were associated with mutilation.[3]

Conventional explanations include satanic cults and natural predators.

Linda Moulton Howe
Linda Moulton Howe

Researcher Linda Moulton Howe is the most prominent researcher in this field. In 1980, Howe produced A Strange Harvest, a documentary that suggested unusual wounds found on cattle are the work of extraterrestrial beings who harvest body parts required for their survival or research, and that the U.S. government is complicit. The documentary received a Regional Emmy award in 1981.

A Strange Harvest cover
mutilated cow
mutilated cow

Above: Two images that appeared in the national press from Santa Fe, north-eastern Argentina. Norberto Bieri, the owner of one of the seven cows, told local media: “They did not have tongues or flesh around the jaw, but they did not take any animals away or remove their bones. It seems as though the clean incisions were done with a laser as there is no trace of a knife being used. The cows did not have signs of blood and nothing had appeared to eat them. Some people say chupacabra or aliens did it. Others believe it was rodents. The truth is, the cows are dead and there are no answers as to why.” Mr Bieri added that there had been other recent cases of mutilated animals. Samples were sent to the lab to be analysed and results indicated the cattle had not been shot or poisoned, adding more mystery to the case. A notable absence of scavengers. Source: Sunday Express (2008)

Above: A fascinating interview with farmer Jeff Sailor including experience of cattle mutilations and Poltergiest type phenomena.

Being a UK resident I am particularly interested in cases occurring in the UK. David Cayton is arguably the most prominent UK researcher on animal mutilations. He and several associates formed the Animal Pathology Field Unit (APFU), set up in 2001 to investigate after sheep and cattle were discovered dead with strange, surgical-style injuries.

David Cayton

 

David Cayton, head of APFU

2015. A farm in Syston, Leicestershire. Two horses found were mutilated. Claire the horses owner discovered the first horse on the morning of 7th Sept She took photos with her phone and sent them to her friend who was a vet. The Vet stated the injuries must have been caused by a very sharp instrument but she was mystified by the lack of blood. Procedures noted included a jaw strip, ear removal and removal of horse chestnuts which are small lumps on horse’s legs. There was no blood on the ground around the animal or in the field itself and no drag marks in the field. The owner noticed that the other horses in the field refused to come over to the dead horse.

mutilated horse

Below is an excellent 4 part video by Richard D Hall and David Cayton on the two horse mutilation cases in 2015 Leicester England. The run around by the authorities is equally fascinating. You will note the reference to black helicopters hovering over the fields days before the mutilation. These helicopters have also been seen over the homes of abductees. In my opinion they are ETs creating illusions so as to convey a terrestrial explanation.

While traditionally having investigated domestic and wild animal mutilations, the APFU has begun investigating sea mammal mutilations as well. In particular seal mutilations.

Cayton first heard about mutilated seals via UFO researcher Tony Dodd. A Scottish RSPCA inspector informed Tony Dodd in the early 1990s that in the Orkney Islands, 30 decapitated bloodless Grey seals were found, none of their heads was ever discovered.

In late 2009 David Cayton was informed of more than 50 mutilated seals found off the Norfolk coast, mainly pregnant females. Strange spiral cuts starting at the left lower jaw and spiraling round to the body. Just deep enough to take outer skin and blubber and a piece of muscle. Others were discovered in Scotland. In the Firth of Tay, seven were found dead in June 2010 out of a breeding population of only 150. Eighteen further deaths have been reported in St Andrews Bay and the Firth of Forth.

mutilated seal
Figure 1: A typical corkscrew mutilated seal corpse showing a classic spiral wound. Collected in the Eden estuary in St. Andrews Bay, Scotland in July 2009. – Credit: Marine Management Organization (MMO)

Callan Duck, a senior research scientist at the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) at St Andrew’s University, said: ‘We simply don’t know what is causing this.”

“We are finding seals coming ashore dead with these highly unusual lacerations right around their body like a spiral. From their head down they can have one or two complete revolutions to their abdomen. It is a continuous cut with a very smooth edge.”

The injuries are not consistent with any known phenomenon, such as those caused by fishing nets or boat propellers, although researchers believe they are mechanically produced by a rotating single blade.

These bizarre corkscrew style deaths made it into the national newspapers at the time.

Source: Daily Mail (August 2010)

mutilated seal
Figure 2. Close-up of a segment of the spiral wound above showing a clean cut through the seals blubber ending before penetrating the body’s inner fascia. – Credit: Marine Management Organization (MMO)
mutilated seal
Figure 3: Head strip of all flesh to the cervical vertebrae. – Credit: David Cayton
mutilated seal
Figure 4: Same seal as shown above with 3 circular portals through which internal organs were removed. – Credit: David Cayton
mutilated seal
Figure 5: Decapitated seal severed at the cervical vertebrae. Note the near cut where the other skin has shrunk away. – Credit David Stuart

The APFU concluded that mutilations were UFO related: (1) lack of tacks or any other evidence of human or predator involvement near the mutilated animal, (2) inability to deter ongoing mutilations through careful surveillance, (3) evidence of highly skilled organ extractions during necropsies, (4) persistent reports of UFO activity at mutilations sites, (5) ubiquitous distribution of similar mutilations throughout the world, (6) lack any adequate official investigation or explanation for the mutilations other than natural predation or cult related ritual sacrifices, and (7) the lack of an alternative scientific hypothesis that would account for all aspect of the phenomenon.

The only official line from the UK Government on animal mutilations is as follows:

“The series of animal mutilation have been very distressing for the farmers and the majority of these incidents have been reported to the police as very serious offences and are being dealt with them at present. As a result , it is not for the Ministry of Agriculture, fisheries and Food to pass comment on these incidents, as they are being handled by the relevant authorities.” Dec 1988.

Above and below: a fox and two deer found with typical round holes in their skulls near Fylingdales North Yorkshire 1996 (4)

Cat mutilations have also been reported around the world.

 “Four cats have been found cut in half
since February 2022 at Nellis AFB, Nevada.”

– Chief Master Sgt. Thomas Schaefer
Chief Master Sergeant of the Nellis 57th Wing

“Two cats were found precisely cut in half
with no blood at the site in Weston, Florida”
 since June 1, 2022

–  Broward County Sheriff’s office, Florida 

Sources:

1. Christopher O’Brien (November 2014) Stalking the Herd (1st ed.). Kempton, IL: Adventures Unlimited Press. p. 50.

2. John A. Keel (1994) The Complete Guide to Mysterious Beings, Doubleday, NYC, NY

3. David R. Saunders and R. Roger Harkins (1969) UFO’s? Yes! Where the Condon Committee Went Wrong; World Publishing

4. Tony Dodd (1999) Alien Investigator Headline Publishing

Tony Dodd 1996 speaking on UK animal mutilations

A fascinating group remote viewer session