Cattle mutilation
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225756798
2008-07-15T07:10:15Z
Porkins8888
5946431
/* Laboratory reports */
{{Refimprove|date=February 2008}}
'''Cattle mutilation''' (also known as '''bovine excision'''<ref>Levengood W C, "A Study of Bovine Excision Sites from 1993 to 1997" (1997), Pinelandia Biophysical Laboratory</ref>) is the apparent killing and then [[mutilation]] of [[cattle]] under unusual or anomalous circumstances. [[Sheep]] and [[horse]]s have been allegedly mutilated under similar circumstances.
Since the time that reports of purported animal mutilations began, the causes have been attributed variously to natural [[decomposition]], normal [[predator]]s, [[cryptozoology|cryptid]] predators, [[extraterrestrials]], secretive governmental or military agencies, and [[cult]]s. "Mutilations" have been the subject of two independent federal investigations.{{Fact|date=February 2008}}
==History==
Reports of mutilated cattle first surfaced in the United States in the early 1960s when it was allegedly largely confined to the states of [[Pennsylvania]] and [[Kansas]]. {{Fact|date=January 2007}} The phenomena remained largely unknown outside cattle raising communities until 1967, when the ''[[Pueblo Chieftain]]'' in [[Pueblo, Colorado]] published a story about a horse named Lady who was mutilated in mysterious circumstances, which was then picked up by the wider press and distributed nationwide; this case was also the first to feature speculation that [[extraterrestrial life|extraterrestrial]] beings and [[unidentified flying object]]s were somehow associated with mutilation.<ref>David R. Saunders and R. Roger Harkins; ''UFO's? Yes! Where the Condon Committee Went Wrong''; World Publishing, 1969</ref>
By the mid 1970s, mutilated cattle were reported in 15 states, from [[Montana]] and [[South Dakota]] in the north, to [[New Mexico]] and [[Texas]] in the south.{{Fact|date=January 2007}}
Democratic senator [[Floyd K. Haskell]] contacted the [[FBI]] asking for help in 1975 due to public concern regarding the issue. He claimed there had been 130 mutilations in Colorado alone.<ref name=fbi1>[http://foia.fbi.gov/cattle/cattle1.pdf Operation Cattle Mutilation, Section 1], FBI, Released under FOIA</ref>.
==Characteristics==
===Physical characteristics===
Although the exact nature of mutilations varies from case to case, a typical mutilation might involve any or all of the following:
*The removal of eyes, udders and [[sexual organ]]s
*The removal of the [[anus]] to a depth of around 12 inches
*The removal of the [[tongue]] and/or lips
*The removal of one ear
*The stripping of [[Hides|hide]] and flesh from the jaw and the area directly beneath the ear
*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 [[scavenging]]
In most cases mutilation wounds appear to be clean, and carried out surgically. Mutilated animals are usually, though not always<ref>[http://www.earthfiles.com/news/news.cfm?ID=1096&category=Environment First Pregnant Cow Mutilation Discovered] ([[February 13]], [[2006]]), Earthfiles</ref> reported to have been drained of blood, and have no sign of blood in the immediate area or around their wounds.
According to sample FBI records from 1975, mutilations of the eye occurred in 14 percent of cases, mutilation of the tongue in 33 percent of cases, mutilation of the genitals in 74 percent of cases, and mutilation of the rectum in 48 percent of cases.{{Fact|date=April 2008}} According to a later survey taken by the [[National Institute for Discovery Science]] (NIDS), mutilation of the eye occurred in 59 percent of cases, mutilation of the tongue in 42 percent of cases, the genitals in 85 percent of cases, and the rectum in 76 percent of cases.<ref>[http://www.nidsci.org/articles/bovinepractioners.php Results of a Survey Among Bovine Practitioners Concerning Animal Mutilation] G. E. Onet, NIDS</ref>
According to Dr. Howard Burgess, nearly 90 percent of mutilated cattle are between four and five years old.<ref>Good Timothy, Alien contact: top-secret UFO files revealed, William Morrow & Co., ISBN 0-688-12223-X</ref>
Some mutilations are said to occur in very brief periods. A 2002 NIDS report<ref>[http://www.nidsci.org/pdf/mutilationofcalves.pdf Three Reports of Unusual Killings and Mutilation of Calves] (2002), NIDS</ref> relates a 1997 case from Utah. Two ranchers tagged a specific calf, then continued tagging other animals in the same pasture. The ranchers were, at the most, about 300 yards from the calf. Less than an hour later, the first calf was discovered completely eviscerated -- most muscle and all internal organs were missing. There was no blood, entrails, or apparent disturbance at the scene. Independent analysts both uncovered marks on the calf's remains consistent with two different types of tools: a large, [[machete]]-type blade, and smaller, more delicate [[scissor]]s.
===Laboratory reports===
Laboratory reports carried out on some mutilated animals have shown unusually high or low levels of vitamins or minerals in tissue samples, and the presence of chemicals not normally found in animals. However, not all mutilated animals display these anomalies, and those that do have slightly different anomalies from one another. On account of the time between death and necropsy, and a lack of background information on specific cattle, investigators have often found it impossible to determine if these variations are connected to the animals' deaths or not.<ref name=fbi4>[http://foia.fbi.gov/filelink.html?file=/cattle/cattle4.pdf Operation Cattle Mutilation, Section 4] FBI, Released under [[FOIA]]</ref>
In one case documented by New Mexico police and the FBI,<ref name=fbi4/> an 11 month old cross Hereford-Charolais bull, belonging to a Mr. Manuel Gomez of [[Dulce, New Mexico]], was found mutilated on [[March 24]] [[1978]]. It displayed 'classic' mutilation signs, including the removal of the rectum and sex organs with what appeared to be “a sharp and precise instrument” and its internal organs were found to be inconsistent with a normal case of death followed by predation.
:“Both the liver and the heart were white and mushy. Both organs had the texture and consistency of peanut butter”
:Gabriel L Veldez, New Mexico Police
The animal's heart as well as bone and muscle samples were sent to the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, part of the [[University of California]], for microscopic and bacteriological studies, while samples from the animal's liver were sent to two separate private laboratories.
Los Alamos detected the presence of naturally occurring [[Clostridium]] bacteria in the heart, but was unable to reach any conclusions because of the possibility that the bacteria represented postmortem contamination. They did not directly investigate the heart's unusual color or texture.<ref name=fbi4>[http://foia.fbi.gov/filelink.html?file=/cattle/cattle4.pdf FBI memo relating to 1978 mutilation]</ref>
Samples from the animal's liver were found to be completely devoid of [[copper]] and to contain 4 times the normal level of [[zinc]], [[potassium]] and [[phosphorus]]. The scientists performing the analysis were unable to explain these anomalies.<ref name=fbi4/>
Blood samples taken at the scene were reported to be "light pink in color" and “Did not clot after several days” while the animal's hide was found to be unusually brittle for a fresh death (the animal was estimated to have been dead for 5 hours) and the flesh underneath was found to be discolored.<ref name=fbi4/>
None of the laboratories were able to report any firm conclusions on the cause of the blood or tissue damage. At the time, it was suggested that a burst of radiation may have been used to kill the animal, blowing apart its red blood cells in the process. This hypothesis was later discarded as subsequent reports from the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory later confirmed the presence of anti-coagulants in samples<ref name=fbi4/> taken from other cows mutilated in the region.
===Other signs===
In addition to the physical aspects of the mutilation, ranchers commonly claim to find unusual signs upon or after the discovery of a mutilated animal.
*Unusual restlessness among surviving animals
*Refusal of predators and scavengers to feed on the mutilated carcass
*Strange marks or 'post holes' on the ground around the mutilated animal
*Unusual odors. Commonly described as being medicinal or surgical in nature.
==Conventional explanations==
As with most disputed phenomena, there are a number of potential explanations to cattle mutilations, ranging from death by natural causes to purposeful acts by unknown individuals.
===U.S. governmental explanation===
After coming under increasing public pressure, Federal authorities launched a comprehensive investigation of the mutilation phenomena.<ref name=opanmuthome>[http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/ufoanim.htm FBI Operation Animal Mutilation], FBI Investigation into Cattle Mutilation. Released under [[FOIA]]</ref>
In May 1979, the case was passed on to the [[FBI]], which granted jurisdiction under [http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode18/usc_sup_01_18_10_I.html Title 18] (codes [http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode18/usc_sec_18_00001152----000-.html 1152] and [http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode18/usc_sec_18_00001153----000-.html 1153]). The investigation was dubbed "Operation Animal Mutilation."
The investigation was funded by a US$44,170 grant from the [[Law Enforcement Assistance Administration]], and was headed by FBI agent [[Kenneth Rommel]]. It had five key objectives:
# To determine the reliability of the information on which the grant was based, which entailed gathering as much information as possible about the cases reported in New Mexico prior to May 1979
# To determine the cause of as many mutilations as possible, especially those reported in New Mexico
# To determine if livestock mutilations as described constitute a major law enforcement problem
# If these mutilations do constitute a major law enforcement problem, to determine the scope of the problem and to offer recommendations on how to deal with it
# If it is shown that the mutilation phenomenon is not a law enforcement problem, to recommend that no further law enforcement investigations be funded.
Rommel's final report was 297 pages long and cost approximately US$45,000. It concluded that mutilations were predominantly the result of natural predation, but that some contained anomalies that could not be accounted for by conventional wisdom. The FBI was unable to identify any individuals responsible for the mutilations.{{Fact|date=February 2008}}
Details of the investigation are now available under the [[Freedom of Information Act]].{{Fact|date=February 2008}}
Prior to the involvement of the FBI, the [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives|ATF]] launched their own investigation<ref name=clarkstrange1>Clark J, Pear N (1997), "Strange and unexplained phenomena", Visible Ink Press</ref> of the phenomena. It concluded further investigation was necessary, but was unable to determine what was behind the phenomena. The scope of the ATF investigation was limited to a single suspected cause.{{Fact|date=January 2007}}
Both federal investigations were preceded (and followed, to some extent) by a state level investigation carried out by enforcements officials in New Mexico. This investigation reported finding evidence that some mutilated animals had been tranquilized and treated with an anti-coagulant prior to their mutilation<ref name=fbi4/> (page 13). It also contended that alleged surgical techniques performed during mutilations had become 'more professional' over time<ref name=fbi4/> (page 13). However, officers in charge were unable to determine responsibility or motive.
The ATF investigation was headed by ATF Agent Donald Flickinger. The New Mexico investigation was headed by Officer Gabriel L Veldez of the New Mexico Police, with the assistance of [[Cattle Inspector]] Jim Dyad and Officer Howard Johnston of the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.
===Natural causes===
While many unconventional explanations have been put forward to explain cattle mutilations, a variety of scientists, veterinary workers and knowledgeable observers (including farmer and other agricultural workers) have suggested more conventional ideas, most of which revolve around the hypothesis that 'mutilated' animals died of natural causes and were subjected to known terrestrial phenomena – including the action of predators, parasites and scavengers.<ref name=sceptdict>Carroll Robert T, [http://www.skepdic.com/cattle.html Skeptic's Dictionary: Cattle Mutilation] (September 2006)</ref>
Missing or mutilated mouth, lips, anus and genitalia are explained as:
*Contraction of missing/damaged areas due to dehydration.
*The actions of small scavengers and burrowing parasites seeking to enter or consume the body in areas where skin is at its thinnest.
Missing/mutilated eyes and soft internal organs are explained as:
*The action of carrion feeding insects such as [[blowfly|blowflies]], and opportunistic or carrion birds such as [[vulture]]s and [[buzzard]]s which are known to direct themselves toward an animal's eyes, and to enter the body through the openings of the mouth and anus in order to feed on soft internal organs.
Absence of blood is explained as:
*Blood pooling in the lowest points in the body where it will break down into its basic organic components.
*Blood that is external to the body, or in the area of a wound being consumed by insects or reduced by solar desiccation.
Surgical incisions in the skin are explained as:
*Tears in the skin created when it is stretched by postmortem bloat and/or as dehydration causes the animal's hide to shrink and split, often in linear cuts.
*Incisions caused by scavengers or predators, possibly exacerbated by the above.
The hypothesis that natural phenomena accounts for most mutilation characteristics has been validated by a number of experiments, including one cited by long-time [[scientific skepticism|scientific skeptic]] [[Robert Todd Carroll|Robert T. Carroll]], conducted by Washington County (Arkansas) Sheriff's Department. In the experiment, the body of a recently deceased cow was left in a field and observed for 48 hours. During the 48 hours, postmortem bloating was reported to have caused incision-like tears in the cow's skin that matched the "surgical" cuts reported on mutilated cows, while the action of blowflies and maggots reportedly matched the soft tissue damage observed on mutilated cows.
Experiments have also been conducted to compare the different reactions of surgically cut hide/flesh and predated hide/flesh to natural exposure.<ref>Onet George E, DVM, PhD, Kelleher Colm, PhD, (1997), Histological Changes in Bovine Skin Exposed to Natural Environmental Conditions</ref> They demonstrated pronounced differences between surgical cut and non surgical cuts over time. This article does not address tearing due to bloating.
Some ranchers have disputed the natural causes hypothesis on the grounds that the mutilated animals often fall outside of the normal categories of natural deaths followed by predation.<ref name=opanmuthome/>
===Human intervention===
====Animal cruelty and deviant activity====
It is alternatively hypothesised cattle mutilations are the result of two unrelated [[deviant]] phenomena. The bulk of mutilations are the result of predation and other natural processes, and those with anomalies that cannot be explained in this way are the work of deviants who derive pleasure or sexual stimulation from mutilating animals.
Deviant attacks against animals are a recognized phenomenon. There have been many recorded cases around the world, and many convictions. Typically the victims of such attacks are cats, dogs and other family pets,<ref name=catdogs1>[http://www.earthfiles.com/news/news.cfm?ID=1132&category= More Cat and Dog Mutilations], (2006), Linda Moulton Howe</ref> and the actions of deviants are usually limited to acts of cruelty such as striking, burning or beating animals. However, attacks have also been recorded against larger animals, including sheep, cows and horses.<ref name=horse1>[http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?channel_id=3&story_id=25281 Life term sought for killer, horse mutilator], Expatica, [[November 11]], [[2005]]</ref>
Deviants, particularly those with [[sociopath]]ic disorders, have been found to have mutilated animals in elaborate ways<ref name=catdogs1/> using knives or surgical instruments.
On [[April 20]], [[1979]], Dr. C Hibbs of the [[New Mexico]] State Veterinary diagnostics Laboratory spoke before a hearing chaired by Senator Harrison Schmitt. Dr. Hibbs testified that mutilated fell into three categories, one of which was animals mutilated by deviants<ref name=fbi4/> (page 25). FBI records did not record the percentage of the mutilated animals fell into this category.
The standard criminal charge for mutilating an animal, including cattle, is [[animal cruelty]].
====Cults====
Closely related to the deviant hypothesis is the hypothesis that cattle mutilations are the result of cult activity.<ref name=metarel>[http://www.meta-religion.com/Paranormale/UFO/cattle_mutilations.htm Meta Religion.com: Cattle Mutilation], (September 2006)</ref> However, contrary to the deviancy hypothesis, which holds that cattle are mutilated at random by individual deviants, the cult hypothesis holds that cattle mutilations are coordinated acts of ritual sacrifice carried out by organized groups.
Beliefs held by proponents of the cult hypothesis vary, but may include:
*That mutilations are related to phases of the moon or to certain days of the week that hold Pagan symbolism relating to fertility.
*That the apparent absence of blood at mutilation sites may indicate cult members drink it <REF name=mstp>Mystery Stalks the Prairie (1976), Donovan Roberta, Wolverton Keith, ASIN B0006WH8CA</ref>
*That organs have been removed from cattle for use in rituals<ref name=sceptdict/>
*That unborn calves have been harvested from mutilated cattle.
The hypothesis that cults were responsible for cattle mutilation was developed in the U.S. during the 1970s, a time of growing national concern over cults issues.<ref>Bromley David G. and Anson Shupe (1981), Strange Gods: The Great American Cult Scare. Boston: Beacon Press, ISBN 0-8070-3256-5</ref><ref>Hadden J.K (2002) [http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/cultsect/anticounter.htm Cult Group Controversies: Conceptualizing "Anti-Cult" and "Counter-Cult"], University of Virginia</ref> It became a social phenomenon in areas where cattle were being mutilated and there were several panics when it was claimed that cattle mutilations were a 'warm up' in preparation for human sacrifices.{{Fact|date=January 2007}}
In 1975, the US Treasury Department assigned Donald Flickinger to investigate the existence of connections between cults and the mutilation of cattle<ref name=clarkstrange1/><ref name=fbi2/>(Page 23). The operation came under the jurisdiction of the [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives|Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms]].
Flickinger recorded a number of 'unusual' incidents and circumstantial evidence, but was unable to find sufficient evidence of cult involvement for the ATF to take further action.<ref name=fbi2/><ref name=clarkstrange1/> Media reports of the time reported his investigation was dropped when it was determined cattle deaths were not a prelude to a co-ordinated campaign against elected officials by cult members<ref name=fbi2/> (Page 23).
Public interest in the cult hypothesis waned during the 1980s, but interest was maintained by proponents such as the [[Colorado]] based [[televangelism|television evangelist]] [[Bob Larson]], who campaigned to raise public awareness of links between cattle mutilations and cult activity through his ministry and radio shows.
Another proponent of the cult hypothesis is [[Montana]] author [[Roberta Donovan]]. In her 1976 publication "Mystery Stalks the Prairie" she documents the experiences of Deputy Sheriff Keith Wolverton of [[Great Falls, Montana|Great Falls]], [[Cascade County]] investigating cattle mutilations with suspected cult involvement.
Since the beginning of the cult hypothesis, law enforcement agents in several states, including [[Alberta]], [[Idaho]], Montana, and [[Iowa]] have reported evidence implicating cults in several instances of cattle mutilations.<ref>Clark J (1999), Unexplained! Strange Sightings, Incredible Occurrences, and Puzzling Physical Phenomena, 2nd Edition, ISBN 1-57859-070-1</ref> but does not prove involvement beyond reasonable doubt.
During their investigations, the FBI and the ATF were unable to find appropriate evidence, including signs of consistency between mutilations, to substantiate that the animals had been the victims of any form of ritual sacrifice or organized mutilation effort. They were also unable to determine how or why a cult would perform procedures that would result in the anomalies reported in some necropsies<ref name=fbi4/> (Page 3), or to verify that the anomalies were 1) connected to the mutilations themselves 2) the result of human intervention.<ref name=opanmuthome/>
In most cases, mutilations were either ruled due to natural causes, or the cattle were too far decayed for any useful conclusions to be drawn. Some cases of cult hysteria were traced back to fabrication by individuals unrelated to the incident. In one case it was concluded that claims had been falsified by a convict seeking favorable terms on his sentence in exchange for information<ref name=fbi2>[http://foia.fbi.gov/filelink.html?file=/cattle/cattle2.pdf Operation Cattle Mutilation, Section 2], FBI, Released under [[FOIA]]</ref> (Page 23-24)<ref name=mstp/> (Page 14-15). In another case, claims were traced back to local high school students who had circulated rumors as a joke.<ref name=mstp/> (Page 21)
====Shell-shock====
During the early 1970s one of the hypothesis that emerged to explain cattle mutilations was that they were being perpetrated by [[shell-shock]]ed Vietnam veterans who were recreating scenes of torture that they had either seen committed against US troops by Vietnamese guerrillas, or that they had themselves committed against Vietnamese fighters.<ref name=lewis>Clyde Lewis, [http://www.clydelewis.com/dis/cattle/cattle.html To Boldly Spindle and Mutilate] (September 2006)</ref>
This hypothesis was quickly discounted by FBI agents and soon fell out of favor among phenomena proponents. It rarely appears in modern texts on mutilations.
==Unconventional explanations==
{{Expand-section|date=January 2007}}
====Government/military experimentation====
A less conventional hypothesis that has been put forward to explain the reported mutilations concerns the large number of mutilations that occurred in close proximity to former US nuclear test sites. This theory is based on a number of eyewitness accounts reporting military type helicopters before the mutilation was discovered. In addition to this there were also a number of helicopter type marks left in the soil. The descriptions range from army green to black helicopters. In one such case (October 1993) in Alabama an FAA investigator witnessed an unmarked helicopter during an investigation concerning livestock mutilations where witnesses claimed to have seen helicopters. The FAA agent traced this particular helicopter to the Maxwell Air Force Base in Southern Alabama.
In this case it has been speculated the military dissected cattle to determine the level of radioactive material that had accumulated in their soft tissue (the mouth, anus and lower soft organs being logical targets).
This would allow the military to gauge the level of radioactive exposure each animal received over its lifetime, as well as to monitor which areas received the most fallout. And as a result, it would allow the military to estimate the probable levels of human exposure to fallout, and to ascertain roughly how much radioactive contamination is entering the human food chain through milk and meat.
Mutilated animals that fall outside the contaminated area can be presumed:
*To be control subjects
*To have succumbed to known phenomena (including predation or criminal mutilation)
*To have been mutilated to draw suspicion away from mutilations in contaminated area
A similar hypothesis exists in relation to mutilations that occurred in areas that host US bases affected by fallout from the 1986 [[Chernobyl]] disaster, and areas which host US bases subject to fallout from foreign nuclear experiments.
Other government/military related hypotheses include the supposition that mutilated cattle have been used as guinea-pigs during the development of [[energy weapon]]s, biological agents, laser scalpels, or other items of advanced technology.
The evidence used to substantiate these hypotheses remain largely circumstantial and are not supported by anything released so far under the [[Freedom of Information Act]].
In his 1997 article “Dead Cows I've Known”<REF name=oliphant1>Dean Trimboli T(1997), Dead Cows I've Known.</REF>, cattle mutilation researcher Charles T Oliphant speculates cattle mutilation to be the result of covert research into emerging cattle diseases, and the possibility they could be transmitted to humans.
Oliphant posits the NIH, CDC, or other federally funded bodies, may be involved, and they are supported by the US military. Part of his hypothesis is based on allegations that human pharmaceuticals have been found in mutilated cattle, and on the necropsies that show cattle mutilations commonly involve areas of the animal that relate to “input, output and reproduction”. To support his hypothesis, Oliphant cites a [[Ebola Reston|previous case]] in which plain clothes military officers, traveling in unmarked vehicles, entered a research facility in [[Reston, Virginia]] to secretly retrieve and destroy animals that were contaminated with a highly infectious disease.
Additionally, a 2002 [[NIDS]] report<ref name=anonymous>Anonymous, [http://www.nidsci.org/pdf/cache_county_utahreport.pdf Report on Unusual Animal Injuries in Cache County, Utah] (2002) </ref> relates the eyewitness testimony of two [[Cache County, Utah]] police officers. The area had seen many unusual cattle deaths, and ranchers had organized armed patrols to surveil the unmarked aircraft which they claimed were associated with the livestock deaths. The police witnesses claim to have encountered several men in an unmarked U.S. Army helicopter in 1976 at a small community airport in Cache County. The witnesses asserted that after this heated encounter, cattle mutilations in the region ceased for about five years.
Biochemist [[Colm Kelleher]],<ref>Kelleher, Colm, ''Brain Trust: The Hidden Connection Between Mad Cow and Misdiagnosed Alzheimer's Disease'' Paraview, 2004, ISBN 0743499352</ref> who has investigated several purported mutilations first-hand, argues that the mutilations are most likely a clandestine U.S. Government effort to track the spread of [[Bovine spongiform encephalopathy]] ("mad cow disease") and related diseases, such as [[scrapie]].
===Aliens and UFOs===
Various hypotheses suggest cattle mutilations have been committed by [[Extraterrestrial life|aliens]] gathering [[genetic material]] for unknown purposes. Most of these hypotheses are based on the premise that earthly entities could not perform such clean dissections in such a short space of time without being seen or leaving evidence behind at the mutilation site, and around laboratory reports suggesting the use of unconventional cutting tools and other unexpected phenomena.{{Fact|date=February 2008}}
==In pop culture==
*These cattle mutilations had an influence on the plot of the [[UFO (TV series)|Gerry Anderson ''UFO'' series]].
*A television adaptation of ''[[War of the Worlds (TV series)|War of the Worlds]]'' touches upon the phenomenon. In an early episode, aliens have drained the blood from cattle so as to produce a temporary means of slowing the process of their inflicted [[radiation poisoning]].
*The pilot episode of ''[[South Park]]'' featured cattle mutilation. Eventually, it was discovered the extraterrestrials were attempting to establish communication with the cattle as they are the most intelligent, reasonable creatures on Earth. The mutilation was accidental and was "Carl's fault...he's new."
*The novel ''The Magdalene Cipher'' by Jim Hougan mentions cattle mutilation. The protagonist (Jack Dunphy) follows the trail of a pseudo-religious/governmental conspiracy (a la ''[[The Da Vinci Code]]''), and at one point speaks to a former "[[black op]]s" agent who had been involved in mutilations. The mutilations were apparently performed to keep a sense of [[fear, uncertainty and doubt|FUD]] (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) in the wider community and thus make them more amenable to a future religious second coming.
*In the arcade game ''[[Space Invaders]] IV: Majestic Twelve'', there are bonus rounds where you must save cattle from being abducted from flying saucers.
*In the [[Tim Burton]] film ''[[Mars Attacks|Mars Attacks!]]'', in one scene, a prelude to the Martian invasion involves a herd of burning cattle stampeding past a farm. A flying saucer takes off from behind a hill, suggesting that the herd of cattle were the victims of a Martian [[raygun|Death Ray]].
*The [[video game]] ''[[Destroy All Humans!]]'', references several alien invasion/ UFO phenomenon clichés and themes, including cattle mutilation.
*In the Episode of ''[[X-files]]'', ''[[Eve (The X-Files)|Eve]]'', agent Fox Mulder believes that a victim's death is an example of extraterrestrial cattle mutilation on a human being.
*In the video game ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask]]'', at one point the player must stop aliens from stealing cattle from Romani ranch.
*[[Professional wrestling holds#Bridging grounded double chickenwing|Cattle Mutilation]] is a professional wrestling submission hold made famous by [[Bryan Danielson]]. Once the hold is locked in, the two wrestlers end up making the shape of a chopped open cattle.
*In the 1982 film ''[[Endangered Species (film)|Endangered Species]]'', a thriller starring [[Robert Urich]], cattle mutilation is a central element of the plot. Urich plays a vacationing police officer who gets involved in an increasingly dangerous investigation into bizarre cattle deaths.
*The second verse of the song "Take Me Off to Space", which appears on several CDs sold by The [[Church of the SubGenius]], talks about UFO related cattle mutilations.
*In [[2005]] [[Jonathan Cape]] published [[Julian Barnes]]'s "[[Arthur & George]]", a novel which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. The main characters in it are [[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle]] and an obscure solicitor by the name of George Edalji. The novel explores the issue of hybridity and [[racism]] in the context of a trial for cattle mutilation. It is based on the case of the [[Great Wyrley]] Outrages.
*In Atmospherics, a 2002 comic by [[Warren Ellis]], a government agent tries to cover up the murder of an entire town in the form of mutilations such as those purported to done to cattle. Ultimately, it is revealed the aliens commit these acts not because they are scientists but because they are sociopaths who enjoy killing.
==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}
==Other Sources==
* Linda Moulton Howe (1980 1989), ''A Strange Harvest'' (Documentary)
* Linda Moulton Howe (1993), ''Strange Harvests 1993'' (Documentary)
* Linda Moulton Howe (1989), ''Alien Harvest: Further Evidence Linking Animal Mutilations and Human Abductions to Alien Life Forms'', Linda Moulton Howe Productions, ISBN 0-9620570-1-0
* Fawcett Lawrence, Greenwood Barry (1993), ''UFO Coverup'', Fireside, ISBN 0671765558
* Fawcett Lawrence, Greenwood Barry (1984), ''Clear Intent'', Prentice Hall, ISBN 0131366564
* Clark Jerome (1996), ''The UFO Encyclopedia, Volume Three: High Strangeness, UFO's from 1960 through 1979'', Detroit Omnigraphics, ISBN 1-55888-742-3
* Jacobs David Michael (1975), ''The UFO Controversy In America'', Indiana University Press, ISBN 0-253-19006-1
* Saunders David R, Harkins R Roger (1969), ''UFO's? Yes! Where the Condon Committee Went Wrong'', World Publishing, ASIN B00005X1J1
* Summers Ian, Kagan Daniel (1984), ''Mute Evidence'', Bantam, ISBN 0-553-23318-1
==See also==
*Anomalous phenomenon
*[[Chupacabra]]
*[[Horse ripping]]
*[[The Mothman Prophecies]]
*[[Black helicopters]]
*[[National Institute for Discovery Science]]
*[[Linda Moulton Howe]]
==External links==
*[http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/ufoanim.htm Animal Mutilation Project] - The [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]]'s page on the subject.
*[http://www.skepdic.com/cattle.html The Skeptic's Dictionary explanation of Cattle Mutilation]
*[http://www.earthfiles.com Linda Moulton Howe's homepage]
*[http://www.informantnews.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=188 Human Mutilation by Aliens - Brazilian Case With Photos]
*[http://www.paranormalnews.com/news.asp?nCategoryId=19 Animal Mutilation News at Paranormalnews.com]
*[http://www.uadresearch.com Unexplained Animal Deaths Research - Barb Campbell]
*[http://www.forteantimes.com/features/articles/226/return_of_the_mootilators.html Return of the Mootilators] Mark Pilkington reports on Argentinian cases
*[http://www.ringinganvil.net Homepage Herman Doty Jr. 134 page historical narrative on Snippy the Horse]
[[Category:UFO-related phenomena]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theories|Conspiracy theory]]
[[Category:Anomalous phenomena]]
[[Category: Abduction phenomenon]]
[[it:Mutilazione del bestiame]]
[[ru:Увечье скота]]