Authorities in Texas in southern US were left clueless after six cows were mysteriously found dead along a rural highway with their tongues cut out and no apparent loss of blood, the New York Post reported.
Ranchers first found the mutilated remains of a 6-year-old longhorn-cross cow on their property, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office said on social media.
Similar mutilations were then reported across the state and efforts to coordinate between agencies were underway, the Sheriff’s Office added.
‘A straight, clean cut, with apparent precision, had been made to remove the hide around the cow’s mouth on one side, leaving the meat under the removed hide untouched. The tongue was also completely removed from the body with no blood spill. It was noted there were no signs of struggle and the grass around the cow was undisturbed. No footprints or tire marks were traced’
The sheriff’s office said the other five cows were also found lying on one side with a face cut along the jawline and the tongue completely removed. Two of the cows also had similar cuts with their external genitalia removed.
All six cows were found in separate locations and belonging to different herds, with the grass around them undisturbed.
No cause of death has been determined in any of the six cases.
The office has now urged the public to call them if they are aware of other similar occurrences.
This isn’t the first time cattle have been found mutilated. According to CBS News, cows in northeast Georgia were found dead with neatly-cut circles sliced into their rear ends in 2016.