cattle "mutilations"

The term "mutilations" is used by UFO devotees to describe animal corpses
with "unusual" or "inexplicable" features. What counts as "unusual" or
"inexplicable" is just about any cut, mark, wound, excision, incision,
swelling, distension, organ or blood absence, abrasion or bruise. The best
explanation for the inexplicable, of course, is aliens. Visitors from other
worlds are responsible for the deaths and mutilations of thousands of
cattle, horses, cats and other domestic animals around the globe.
Presumably, these are the same aliens who have been performing reproductive
surgery on humans they've abducted in between their numerous excursions
into the art world. Undoubtedly, crop circles are messages from the aliens
to let us know how much they like our planet's cattle.

Of course, no one has shown either that there are thousands of inexplicable
animal deaths around the globe or that, if there are, they are related,
much less that they are the result of alien experimentation. These facts,
however, are no deterrent to those who are sure we are not alone.

The main evidence that aliens have been killing and mutilating animals
seems to be that there is a lack of evidence that aliens aren't responsible
for the deaths or the post mortem conditions of the animals (argument from
ignorance). Defenders of this view also reject the notion that there could
be an earthly explanation. They are convinced that aliens need cow blood
and organs for their experiments.What seems most convincing to the alien
theorists is that "wounds" and missing organs such as the tongue and the
genitalia seem completely inexplicable to them in any but mysterious terms.
Explanations in terms of human pranksters, satanic ritualists, insects,
birds, human or animal predators, gravity, insurance fraud, etc., are to no
avail.

An Alien Harvest (1989) by Linda Moulton Howe details much of the story,
including photographs of wounds described as weird, bizarre, suspicious and
inexplicable. She claims that her photos reveal

     for the first time that tissue gathered from mutilator cuts in
     Arkansas on March 11, 1989, revealed the following
     characteristics under microscopic examination: 1) The line is
     pinpoint thin; 2) The line was subjected to high heat, probably
     300 degrees Fahrenheit or above, leaving a hard and darkened
     edge; 3) The cuts were made rapidly, probably in two minutes or
     less, because there is no inflammatory cell destruction which
     typically begins in a few minutes after any trauma to tissue (See
     contrasting photomicrographs).

The photographs are "scientific proof" of unnatural happenings, similar to
the photos of alpha brain states to prove the scientific nature of
transcendental meditation and the Kirlian photos of mutilated leaves to
prove the occult nature of auras. There is no point in suggesting anything
earthly is probably responsible for the cattle deaths or conditions, since
those explanations have already been ruled out by our experts. The wounds
are too weird, the lack of blood too bizarre, the coincidences too many,
for any naturalistic explanation.

Besides, if there were earthly explanations, one could not invoke the
favored government conspiracy theory to juice up the story. Cattle
"mutilations" are not only associated with UFO sightings, they are linked
to black helicopter sightings as well. This suggests, to the well-trained
conspiratorial mind, that our military forces are testing new weapons on
the livestock of unsuspecting citizen ranchers. It shouldn't surprise
anyone to find that the military thinks it is ok to experiment on cattle
surreptitiously, since they've done it on people in the past. Another
possibility, according to UFOlogists, is that the helicopters are UFO's
disguised to appear as terrestrial craft. Indeed. Some even think that the
aliens have been in collusion with the Air Force for the past 30 years and
that the animal "mutilations" are being performed by aliens with the full
knowledge of our military. (We allow it because of some sort of treaty we
signed with the aliens.)

Of course, inquiring minds want to know why beings with the intelligence
and power to travel billions of miles to our planet would spend their time
mutilating cows, experimenting on otherwise unnotable people, or carving up
wheat fields. The answer is simple: they're aliens and are beyond our
comprehension. Or, they need cow blood and glands for food and experiments.
For example, the aliens are harvesting enzymes and are working on a genetic
engineering project which will blend the Gray race (the aliens) with a
Nordic race (of course!) so they can interface with humans better. The
aliens are also altering cow DNA to create some sort of artificial life
form.

To the rational mind, aliens coming all this way to get cow blood and
glands seems preposterous. But remember, these are aliens and we have no
idea why they do what they do. Having traveled so far, though, you would
think they might drop by a McDonalds once in awhile for their blood and
glands, and let us know how the work is going.

Inquiring minds want to know.