On January 30, 1980, Dr. Clair Hibbs, director of the Animal Diagnostic Laboratory, informed me that a mutilation had been reported in Tijeras Canyon.
I immediately contacted the owner of the animal, who stated that at 2 p.m. on January 25, he had found his two-year-old Holstein heifer dead in a pasture, located approximately 200 yards from his house. He said there was a hole, 8 inches in diameter, in the rear end of the animal, which was lying on its left side. The animal was last seen alive the night of January 24, when she was fed. According to the owner, the cow was healthy, but had not been vaccinated against blackleg.
The owner also told me that an inspector from the New Mexico Livestock Board had examined the animal on January 26 and had indicated to the owner that it had probably died of blackleg, the carcass subsequently being damaged by animals. The owner noted there are coyotes in the area. He also pointed out that his neighbor has three dogs -- two German Shepherds and one St. Bernard. However, he said that in his opinion, these dogs would not have hurt the cow, since they were accustomed to playing together. The owner further stated that there appeared to be no bird defecation on the carcass nor any tracks nearby. However, he pointed out that the ground was frozen and therefore tracks would not likely be left.
The owner further stated that he had been told that blackleg was not prevalent in the winter, and therefore he discounted the livestock inspector's observations. Consequently, he immediately butchered the animal, kept the choice cuts for himself, and distributed the balance of the meat to his neighbor to be used as dog food.
As soon as I learned of this development, I contacted Dr. Hibbs and told him the owner had butchered the animal. Dr. Hibbs advised that the owner had been misinformed about blackleg, which can occur any time. Dr. Hibbs then contacted the owner and advised him about the danger of blackleg. He warned the owner that since the animal's death had not been diagnosed, the meat should be destroyed.
On February 41 Dr. Hibbs told me he had discussed the entire situation with the owner, and had learned that the animal in question had been consuming a lot of leafy green alfalfa. Dr. Hibbs said he now believed the cow may have died of bloat. This observation is particularly interesting in view of the fact that both the owner and his neighbor, on witnessing the butchering of the animal, observed that its stomach was full of alfalfa.