Incidents Reported in Other States

The following is a brief summary of the mutilations reported in other states from which information was obtained. For some of these states, more detailed information, including reports submitted by veterinarians and other officials, is available in the appendix section. For the sake of convenience, the states are listed in alphabetical order.

ARIZONA: Several cases were reported in the past three years, none of which involved humans. This information was furnished to me in a letter dated June 26, 1979.

IDAHO: Several cattle mutilations were reported in 1976; one in 1978 and one in 1979. The investigators stated in a letter dated July 6, 1979, that these mutilations were caused. either by predators or by publicity seekers.

ILLINOIS: Between 1976 and 1978, there were three reported mutilations, all of which occurred in Christian County, Illinois. No determination was made.

IOWA: Authorities are investigating approximately 12 cases, which they believe are human-induced. A spokesman advised that this is a local situation, and that investigation is currently underway. None of these mutilations have been confirmed by Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

KANSAS: No cases have been confirmed by the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the Kansas State University. During a conversation on March 5, 1980, with Philip S. Arkow -- president of the Colorado Federation of Animal Welfare Agencies and secretary of the National Animal Control Association in Colorado Springs, he informed me that he had recently returned from a workshop on mutilations sponsored jointly by Kansas State University and the Kansas State Animal Control Division.

Arkow stated that a paper was presented at this workshop by Dr. George Kennedy of the Pathology Department of Kansas State University. At the workshop, it was concluded that in all cases investigated in Kansas since 1976, no evidence of human involvement had been discovered. Rather, these mutilations were determined to be the results of normal predator and scavenger activity.

KENTUCKY: The one incident investigated was resolved as "post-death changes made by wild animals." This information was furnished in a letter dated June 15, 1979.

LOUSIANA: Fifteen cases have been reported all of them "unexplained."

MINNESOTA: According to authorities at the School of Medicine at South Dakota State University, all mutilations they examined were caused by small animals feeding on the carcasses.

MISSOURI: According to authorities at the Animal Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, all mutilations they examined were attributed to damage done by birds and other carnivores.

NEVADA: Several mutilations were reported during the past few years, according to information contained in their files.

Only two were thought to be caused by humans.

NEBRASKA: Since 1974, the Nebraska Highway Patrol has investigated between 130-150 reported mutilations. Of these incidents, 20 necropsies were performed. In only one case was the mutilation caused by a human. This individual was later apprehended and prosecuted. According to a letter dated August 7, 1979, this person had been greatly influenced by media accounts of mutilations.

NEW JERSEY: One incident was reported in 1978. Investigation revealed that the mutilation had been done by a practicing veterinarian, who had necropsied the animal in order to determine the cause of death. This information was furnished in a letter dated June 27, 1979.

NORTH DAKOTA: The chief agent of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation informed me that authorities in that state had determined that all the mutilations they had investigated were caused by skunks, coyotes, badgers, and other wild animals.

OREGON: Nine reported mutilations were investigated. The two which were suitable for testing were examined by the police laboratory, which reported finding chew marks on the carcass.

SOUTH DAKOTA: At least 12 cases were examined by authorities in 1974. Human involvement was ruled out in each case. According to the Animal Diagnostic Laboratory at South Dakota State University, each incident bore evidence of predatory animals.

TEXAS: In the specimens examined by the Animal Diagnostic Center at Texas A&M University, human involvement was definitely eliminated as a possible cause in each case.

UTAH: In a letter dated July 27, 1979, authorities stated that all mutilations they investigated had been resolved. Natural causes were responsible for most of them. In the few cases where human involvement was determined, the mutilators turned out to be pranksters involved in an initiation scavenger hunt at their college.

WISCONSIN: A number of cases were investigated in Wisconsin in 1975 and 1976. According to information furnished in a letter dated July 24, 1979, authorities had determined that all the deaths were due to natural causes. In most of these cases, the mutilations were caused by predators.

WYOMING: According to the state veterinarian at Wyoming State University Laboratory, the mutilations investigated in that state are caused by predators.