Cattle Mutilations

Cattle mutilations are one of the most bizarre phenomena ever associated with UFOs. Although the link between the two isn’t universally accepted and other theories exist, many researchers are convinced that the horrific and mysterious injuries inflicted on our animals are somehow connected to the extra-terrestrial presence here on Earth.

The first cattle mutilation reports began to be received in the 1960s, although it is possible the phenomenon existed before that but, occurring mainly in isolated rural communities, was not widely reported. In a typical case, a beast will be found dead, often completely drained of blood. Parts of its body, usually including the genitalia, the rectal area, and the eyes, will have been excised with a laser-like precision.

Internal bodily organs are often missing. Usually, there is no blood found near the corpse, and there is no sign of predation by animals. In fact, very strangely, it has often been reported that any predatory creatures in the area seem to steer clear of the corpse altogether, ignoring an easy meal.

Most reports have been received from the United States. But the phenomenon exists elsewhere too. In his book “Open Skies, Closed Minds,” Nick Pope, former guardian of the British X-Files, who manned the “UFO desk” at the Ministry of Defence, acknowledges that strange animal mutilations had been found in Britain also. Nor is it confined exclusively to cattle. Horses have also been affected.

Cattle Mutilation – Conventional Explanations

Ordinary human psychopaths, or members of a twisted, Satanic-style cult who feel the need to perform some kind of sacrifice, are often mentioned on the list of suspects. The lack of blood, and the surgical-like precision of the cuts in the flesh, however, would seem to rule this out. Large predators such as mountain lions or bears are usually disregarded for the same reason.

Some believe that the beasts may have died of natural causes, perhaps of a disease, and that their bodies may then have decomposed in the usual fashion while being fed upon by predators such as birds and insects who favour the more tender parts of the carcase. Experiments have been done to determine the effects of decomposition on the bodies of dead cattle. It was found that they would tend to become bloated in the days after death and these inflated areas would eventually rupture, leaving what appeared to be precise tears in the animals’ flesh.

These appear to be the most plausible of the conventional explanations which have been offered. Some researchers reject them out of hand, however. They can quote examples in which farmers were only hundreds of yards away from the affected animals, which they had seen in good health only a short time before they were brutalised. They cite instances in which the mutilated corpses were found in snow, or mud, without any trace of footprints surrounding them. Extreme cold weather in some cases, they point out, would rule out insects as the culprits.

Are Aliens Responsible?

Some researchers are convinced that extra-terrestrials are behind the mysterious mutilations. The unearthly precision of the cuts, they feel, is beyond any easily portable human technology. And anomalous objects in the sky have often been spotted at the time the incidents occurred. New Mexico, scene of the famous Roswell incident, has been a hotspot for cattle mutilations. And Montana, home to Malmstrom Air Force Base, which has often been linked to the UFO mystery, is another.

Many of those who claim to have been abducted by aliens speak of being subjected to bizarre tests or experiments. Could aliens be doing the same thing to our cattle? Perhaps, since cattle represent a lower order of intelligence, they feel free to go much further in their experimentation than they do on human subjects.

Dead animals, of course, are tangible things, unlike momentary sightings of strange objects in the sky or dream-like reports of alien abduction. The cattle, moreover, are important economic assets of the farmers who own them. Their deaths can have a serious effect on the farmer’s livelihood. From an investigatory perspective, this is a good thing, because it makes it difficult for the authorities to ignore completely. The affected farmers have complained to their local police and to their political representatives. Several police investigations have followed. Unfortunately, few answers have been forthcoming, but and, as a result, many police officers can now provide solid and substantial testimony about the extreme strangeness of the phenomenon.

Chillingly, the mutilation phenomenon is not confined to animals. Human cadavers have been found in a similar condition. A full exploration of this important topic, however, must await another article.

Conclusion

Cattle mutilation is one of the most important topics in all of ufology. Unlike so many other branches of the subject, it has yielded tangible proof that something very strange is going on, and a number of authoritative witnesses willing to attest to it. Definitive answers remain tantalisingly elusive, but a number of committed researchers continue to probe the mystery.