The occurrences of cattle mutilations are perhaps one of the least understood of all UFO related phenomena. One of the reasons for this is the vast number of stories, hoaxes and sensationalism given to the topic. What we attempt to do here is examine the aspects of these incidents in a cohesive, logical manner that will help readers better understand them.
Cattle mutilations is the name given to a series of unexplained incidents in which livestock have been discovered missing by their owners only to reappear some time later, dead and dissected by some unknown party. The term cattle mutilations is actually a misnomer, since horses, chickens, sheep and other farm animals have been reported mutilated as well. The name probably stuck because of the political clout the cattle ranchers have and the fact that they more than any other rancher have brought these incidents to light with the public. The phenomenon has been most reported and certainly more debated in the U.S., but incidents of mutilated farm animals have surfaced in other countries as well, particularly in South America.
Cattle mutilations, while receiving a flap of media coverage over
the last 25 years or so, have actually been reported as early as the
1890s. Ranchers would claim that they would stumble on to animal
parts strewn out across their fields, ripped apart in such a way that
something with great strength had to have done it. Rarely is there a
report of blood being evident at the scene. Some reports claim that
"airships" shaped like cigars or cones would rather openly hover over
livestock pens and haul cattle away. While no evidence was ever
collected to support this, those few reports involving airship UFOS
bear striking resemblance to those UFOs reported in the flap of 1896
to 1897, in which dozens of cities claimed to have been visited by
large cigar shaped airships.
Many of these reports were dismissed as hoaxes, as it was the
accepted practice of many of the small midwestern towns of the era to
"top" each other in the field of tall tales. Given the comparitively
primitive forensic procedures and technology of the era and the fact
that any law enforcement agents (police, sheriff, etc.) would not
necessisarily have investigated so remote an incident, it is probable
that most of these events went unrecorded officially, remembered only
as rumors and tales told around the country store.
As a result, no actual evidence of the cause of these mutilations was
ever recorded, lending credit to the theory that these were hoaxes or
a disguised form of cattle war, which was not uncommon at the time.
Within the last 30 years, reports of mutilated cattle again began
to surface. At first, these reports came from a few, isolated
farmsteads in Colorado, Pennsylvania and New Mexico. Many were
dismissed as hoaxes, if this time as a cover for insurance fraud or
practical jokes. Others were simply explained as predator attacks,
which are not uncommon in rural areas where cattle are raised.
The modern era of cattle mutilations is generally thought to have
started in the late 1960s, when livestock owners reported finding
their animals' remains, drained of blood and sans many vital organs,
which were apparently removed by some exacting surgical
procedure.
By the mid to late 1970s, these reports were becoming more widespread in the mid-west states like Montana, Wyoming and even an increase in Colorado. The incidents took on very similar elements, including the apparent surgical way in which the animals were mutilated and the fact that the carcases were found in places the animals could not have traveled to on their own power.
The 1980s seems to have been a time of relative inactivity as far as cattle mutilations are concerned. Again, Colorado seems to be the exception, as cattle mutilations there continued at an alarming rate.
Reports in the 1990s have shown an increase in activity, particularly in the South. Western Alabama has been reported as a particular hotbed of livestock mutilation. It was at this time that ufologists really became involved in the phenomenon.
Unlike the reports of the turn of the century, evidence has been reported that baffles science. They have been broken down into the following categories along with arguments and conclusions drawn by government and other authorities:
Location
For one thing, there is no evidence that the mauling of the animals was done on the spot the body was found. Indeed, most animal footprints cannot be found anywhere near the carcases, leading investigators to wonder how the animal got there in the first place. Just how anyone could mutilate a large animal like a cow or horse, then carry the body to a remote locations without leaving footprints is a bit of a mystery.
Many cases report large black circles found in a ring around the carcasses, with the dead animal being placed almost in the direct center of the ring. While it has yet to be determined exactly what caused these impressions, they have been determined to have been made with a great deal of heat and pressure. This evidence points most ufologists to the conclusion that the livestock is being picked up by alien craft, operated on and then dropped back to the ground after the craft has landed. While this has found a following among ufologists, many farmers and investigators point out that many carcasses are found without burn rings nearby, and some of those under trees, brush or other foliage which does not seem to be disturbed in the least.
The bodies show evidence of being operated on. Organs such as
stomachs, genitalia, tongues, livers and eyes have been cleanly and
surgically removed. Burn marks around the areas where such organs
were removed show evidence of some kind of laser surgery. Adding to
this baffling evidence is the fact that the carcases were found
completely drained of blood, apprently through serveral large holes
that were made by needles at various points along the body.
All forms of this operation defy what modern medical science is capable of doing. Laser surgery, while an effective treatment of skin ailments and minor surgery, does not possess the power to burn deep into the flesh and surgically remove whole organs cleanly. Those laser scalpals that are used by modern medicine need immense power equipment to function and could not be made portable very easily or practically.
Arguments have been made that these mutilations are not surgical operations but merely the work of coyotes and other predators. Nearly all parties investigating the phonomenon find no credibility in this. Certainly coyotes and wolves preying on a cow or horse would not be very clean or surgical in their removal of limbs or organs. rather, they would be torn apart in a very messy and disorganized manner. Half-eaten portions of the victim animal would be found at varying distances from the carcass, as predators have a habit of tearing off mouthfuls of their prey and taking it away from the rest of the pack to eat in peace. None of the evidence found so far would indicate this has happened. Though organs are missing, the body that remains is still intact. One report generated in 1993 reported that the cuts used to seperate various animal parts were so microscopically exact that they actually cut between cells. No animal, not even man, is capable of such a feat.
As a side note, it is important to mention that coyotes, wolves, hawks and even domesticated dogs refuse to come anywhere near animal carcasses so mutilated. The reasons are unclear, but animals seem genuinely frightened by these bodies.
Samples recovered from remains have proven to have odd properties. Samples of burned flesh were estimated to have been cut with an instrument capable of generating at least 300 degrees ferenheit. Unlike conventional lasers, no carbon deposits were found. This is a definite indication of a revolutionary technology, though not necessarily one of extraterrestrial origin.
Most alarming and baffling is the complete loss of blood in the animal carcasses found. Farmers have reported finding what they describe as "dried husks" of their cattle and horses
Draining a body completely of blood has proven to be impossible by technological standards. Veins and arteries fold and collapse as blood is drained, blood settles into body cavities as the body dies. Even embalmers must use a special fluid to replace the blood as it is drained to make sure all the blood is removed from a dead body. To date, no livestock carcass has been found to have any replacement embalming-like fluid in it. The blood seems to have been simply sucked out through holes in the skin and the arteries do not show any signs of collapse.
One argument in favor of UFO involvement is that this blood removal could possibly be accomplished in a zero-g environment. While this has yet to be proven, theoretically it could be done. Until the space shuttle or Mir puts weightless surgery on its agenda, we will have to wait on that one. Lights in the sky
Two, possibly three days before a rash of cattle mutilations begin, residents in the farming areas report seeing strange lights in the skies. Several farmers have even taken these sightings to mean trouble, they have experienced cattle mutilations so often they are almost commonplace. Among the UFO sightings before the mutilations is the report of a strange craft. Unlike other UFO reports, this craft's description does not seem to have changed from location to location. In fact, ranchers from areas thousands of miles apart report seeing the exact same craft. The ship is described as a reddish craft that is very silent and very wide, surrounded by a bluish glow and having a circular or globe shape to it.
Whether such a craft is responsible for these mutilations is unknown, but its appearance like clockwork only days before cattle mutilations occur is undeniably more than a coincidence. Most farmers argue that the strange object is of U.S. military origin and lunp it in as another member of the helicopter units that seem to plague the areas of livestock mutilations (see below). Black Helicopters
Like the lights in the sky at night, witnesses report seeing large helicopters, silent and often painted black operating around the cattle fields during rashes of cattle mutilations. Ironically, farmers have never considered extraterrestrial involvement until ufologists entered the seen a few years ago. The main reason they site is these helicopters. Most farmers tend to dismiss the extraterrestrial/UFO theory in favor of the more direct evidence of these mysterious helicopters. Rumors range from secret medical experiments on cattle to the use of toxic agents on private land.
While helicopter traffic is common near military installations, the military denies any secret activity is going on and categorically denies a that is is using its forces to experiment on cattle. Farmers, incensed at a loss of income and encroachment on their property and rights, have taken, in some cases to firing on any military helicopters they see, day or night. Needless to say, this has caused a tremendous strain on the relationship between the military and the local populace.
In addition to farmers and local police, state government officials have taken up issues with the military about these mutilations. Of particular contention is a government report compiled in 1981 by Kenneth Rommel, which after nearly 300 pages of evidence, concluded the entire phenomenon of cattle mutilations was merely animal predators. The conclusion was taken as an insult by most state officials and farmers. Despite being an "independant" report, Rommel was an retired FBI agent, who for reasons of loyalty to the government or fear of losing his retirement pension, may have given the government the answers they wanted. The accusations continue on both sides to this day.
While it is certainly possible for the military to conduct experiments on animals, it would not make any sense for them to do so on private land. The government could just as easily and without any risk of publicity, buy and experiment on its own cattle if it needed to. As far as testing new helicopters is concerned, the remote areas of the midwest would be a good place to fly these craft. But the question remains, why use top secret, elusive helicopters to butcher cattle? It certainly seems like an aggregate waste of taxpayer money.
