A phenomena that begun in the late 1960s, practically worldwide with the same modus operandi. The first recorded case of cattle mutilation in USA happened during September 1967, near Alamosa in the San Luis Valley, Colorado. An Appaloosa specimen, named „Lady”, was found dead and mutilated. Both her head and neck were completely stripped of flesh. Cattle were killed and the body left on the farm ground in various conditions. Appearently, it’s been found that the carcass has been totally drained of blood, and that there has been no trace of blood found anywhere on the ground around the body. Various incisions would also be found on the body, so precisely cut they’d have had to have been performed with some sort of laser technology that we didn’t have when the mutilations started! The carcasses featured various missing parts, once more shown to have been removed with the same accurate precision. UFOs have been linked with these mutilations since they have been sighted at the same time, in the same area where the mutilated carcasses have been found.

Although no official estimate exists, generally accepted figures indicate that forty thousand recorded cases have occurred in North America since the „Lady” case. Others have also been recorded in Japan, Argentina, Bolivia, Europe, and Australia and Canada. UFOs are sighted around the place in the days before-and after-the mutilation.

Description of a strange harvest

The first and most documented researcher is journalist Linda Moulton Howe, graduated at Stanford University with a Masters Degree in Communication. She has devoted her documentary film, television and radio career to productions concerning science, medicine and the environment. She’s also author of many books.

Following the pro UFO theory, mutilations were different from accidental or predatory death for several reasons. The first and most important reason, is the way in which the flesh has been removed from the body. Cauterization (a medical procedure involving an incision with instruments; performed to repair damage or arrest disease in a living body) seems to be typical of mutilations. Unlike animal attack, the flesh, adjacent the area where it has been removed, is smooth and clean as if cut with a searing or laser scalpel. Not to mention the areas chosen for removal! Mainly the sexual, anterior digestive tract and sensory organs are affected.No predator differentiates so precisely. Still, no tracks of any kind were found around the mutilation site, except, sometimes, tripod marks. Also, no carrion eaters will touch the mutilated cow even though it has plenty of flesh still left to be eaten.

In some cases, tissue samples were examined by well-established diagnostic labs. Histology performed on over thirty skin samples from the excision lines by Dr. Altshuller, a Colorado pathologist, revealed lesions suggesting overheating. Although there were no data on the degree of autolysis of the samples, collagen and hemoglobin were significantly changed in the proximity of the excision. In a 1991 report, the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory of Corvallis (Oregon State University) determined that skin sections from a suspected mutilated steer showed lesions consistent with electro-surgical excision.
It’s been suggested for some cases the use of a laser. A satanic group-like could be more reasonable, but since no footprints, nor any other human trace has been found, this may not be the case. Who else’d be interested, this macabre manner, in cattle?

This is why some support the alien hypothesis of cattle mutilations.

Skeptics don’t smell aliens

Nonetheless, who’d work on cattle in the air, and even more: who’d drop them back? If a Satanic explanation is not true, the alien theory is also not yet certain, not at all! As with UFO sightings, the aura of mystery has grown the phenomenon bigger. Scientists involved with researching animal mutilations, have attempted to provide logical explanations, and, in some cases, they were contradicted by the evidence gathered by police investigators. Commonly accepted factors such as natural causes, predators, and scavengers are the top explanations.

Despite the fact some official investigators have always lived close to cattles all their lives, they declared having never seen the characteristics often attributed to cattle mutilations. They concluded that at least a part of the animal mutilations were „definitely not made by predators”. In those caes, there are traces all around, like blood, hair, skin portions, body parts and foot prints. Sometimes, investigators were amazed by their findings. Even today, some animal mutilation cases are simply classified as unexplainable. Lack of evidence? Maybe: such cases require a quick reaction by farmers, competent authorities and veterinarians to reach the place and investigate before the original „scčne du délit” endures changes of time, weather, or bacteria.

George E. Onet writes: „Some evidence suggests that the mutilation takes place after the animal has died. Otherwise, the body and the surrounding areas would be stained with a great deal of blood because if the animal were alive, the heart would continue to pump blood through the open vessels. Reports reveal that compared to the severity of the wounds, blood traces are scarce.
Natural causes of death in animals include: infectious diseases, severe accidents, poisoning, bloat, birth-related accidents, predators, electrocution, etc. which can be diagnosed through macroscopic examination and laboratory analyses. In most mutilation cases, it has been reported that animals died suddenly. This is based on the testimony that they were seen by the owner in good health and body condition shortly before being found dead.”

What about missing blood? Here the story becomes interesting: if blooding occurs before death, internal organs appear paler. Thing is, often no sign of an artificial action of draining is found. Yet, blood is missing.

The Rommel report

Another skeptical approach came from Kenneth Rommel, in May 1979, when he stepped into the cattle mutilations scene. For 28 years Rommel worked as an FBI agent, specializing in counter-intelligence and major crimes such as bank robbery. In his report, Rommel heavily debunks many of the notions about „classic mutilations.” In almost all of the cases he examined, a completely natural cause of death was established. The organs that disappear, he argues, are composed of just the sort of soft tissues that carnivorous scavengers are known to snack on.

The „surgically precise” cuts that were so often reported were in fact quite jagged when viewed up close. As to the absence of blood, Rommel notes that „such a claim is rarely confirmed by a necropsy [animal autopsy] report.” He discovered that it is common for the blood of deceased animals to settle into the lower parts of the corpse, and that „any blood on the carcass or on the ground is quickly consumed by scavengers.” (source: „Operation Animal Mutilation”).