Cattle mutilation
Although the exact nature of mutilations varies from case to case, a typical mutilation may involve any or all of the following:
- The removal of eyes, udders and sexual organs very cleanly with surgical precision.
- The removal of the anus to a depth of around 12 inches similar in appearance to surgical coring.
- The removal of the lips and/or tongue deeply cut out from the throat.
- The removal of one ear.
- The removal of major organs (such as heart or liver) with no obvious entry/excision marks. Often, if the heart is missing, apart from no excision wound, the Pericardium will still be present and intact, with the heart missing.
- The stripping of hide and flesh from the jaw and the area directly beneath the ear to the bone.
- The removal of soft organs from the lower body.
- The presence of incisions and cuts across the body that appear to have been made by a surgical instrument.
- Unexplained damage to remaining organs, but no sign of damage to the surrounding area.
- A lack of predation signs (including teethmarks, tearing of the skin or flesh, or animal footprints) on or around the carcass.
- Lack of obvious scavenging.
- In many cases, a draining of the majority of blood from the animal. What blood is left exhibits color anomalies and may not coagulate for days.
- The animal will appear 'dumped' or dropped in a secluded area, with no animal, human or vehicle track(s) leading to or from the site. Some have been found draped over fences or in treetops.
- The ground under the animal appears depressed, as if the animal was dropped on the site from a height leaving an impact crater.
- The animal's bones found to be fractured with injuries consistent with being dropped.
- Strange marks/holes in the ground around the carcass.
- Other cattle avoid the carcass and the area where it's found.
- Eyewitness reports of aerial objects in the vicinity of cattle at the time of an animal going missing.