Texas cattle found dead with tongues cut out
A highway sign advises motorists to be aware of cattle on the road near Chimayo, New Mexico. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
Texas authorities are investigating the deaths of six cattle that were found with their tongues removed, no blood spilled and no signs of struggle.
The cattle were found along a Texas highway in Madison, Brazos, and Robertson County. Ranchers told the Madison County Sheriff’s Office that a six-year-old longhorn-cross cow had been found, lying on her side and mutilated.
A straight, clean cut had been made with "apparent precision" to remove the hide around the cow’s mouth on one side – leaving the mat under the removed hide untouched, the sheriff’s office said. The tongue had also been completely removed with no blood spill.
The sheriff’s office said there were no signs of struggle, and there were no signs of footprints or tire tracks in the area.
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Stranger still, no predators or birds would scavenge the remains of the cow, leaving it to decay for several weeks.
Four adult cows and one yearling were discovered along the highway in Brazos and Robertson Counties in similar circumstances.
The sheriff’s office said the cows were found in the same condition, lying on one side with the exposed side of their face cut along the jawline, and their tongues completely removed.
On two of the five cows, a circular cut had been made, removing the anus and external genitalia with the same precision as the cuts around the jaw lines of each cow, the sheriff’s office said.
In each discovery, there were no signs of struggle or disturbance, no blood spill, no noticeable tracks, and no predators or birds would scavenge the remains.
The cause of death of all six cows remains unknown.
The sheriff’s office said it is coordinating with other agencies across the U.S. to investigate similar incidents.