A series of horrific and brutal killings of horses and their young across several regions in France has struck confusion and fear into police officers and citizens as the number of mysterious slaughters appear to grow steadily.
Brutal horse killings
Since February, nearly 30 cases of brutal killings have reported around the country. The most recent of these attacks was discovered on Thursday in the region of Saone-Loire located in east-central France.
According to Fox News, on Friday, Agriculture Minister Julien Denormandie posted on Twitter saying that authorities have been conducting efforts to find the origin of the horrific incidents and put a stop to them.
Denormandie visited the scene of the killings on Friday and told reporters that investigators would not be excluding anything in search of the perpetrators.
The official described the brutal scenes where horses were seen with their ears cut off, eyes removed, and even drained of its blood.
Officials who responded to the scenes of the attacks noted that in most cases, the horses were seen to have had their ears, usually the right, cut off in a terrifying reminder of a matador's trophy inside a bullring.
Authorities also revealed that the animals' meat has not been taken and that some of them have had their genitals cut off.
A local official told reporters that the acts were severely inhuman and barbaric after an attack earlier this month was discovered in the village of Cortambert found in the region of Saone-et-Loire.
The scenes of the crimes range from the mountainous Jura region located in the eastern part of the country to the west's Atlantic coast, and most of the attacks have been recorded during the summer.
Satanic animal sacrifice?
One Paris police spokeswoman said that they do not understand the reason behind the killings and what drives the criminals to mutilate the animals. She noted that officials wonder if the actions were part of a satanic ritual or insurance fraud, adding they were traumatic experiences for the country, as reported by News.Sky.
Speculations have surfaced noting how individuals who have no knowledge of equine anatomy would be able to conduct the brutal acts, some of which seem to be surgical, on animals that are capable of fleeing if frightened.
Aude Giraudet, a veterinarian, and chief of the equine division at the National Veterinary School of Alfort said that wary horses in the wild could not be caught. The animal expert added, however, that horses who are comfortable with people will not be aggressive towards individuals even after they are fitted with harnesses or ropes around its neck.
The veterinarian said that the animal's ears can easily be cut off even when the horse is still standing but noted that the other gruesome mutilations must be done while the animal is in a prostrated position.
On Monday, one citizen confronted two attackers who were seen at his animal refuge in a village in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comte region who quickly escaped the scene with a vehicle.
According to Chicago Tribune, the man was notified of the trespassers when his pigs started squealing. During the encounter, the man got into a scuffle with one of the intruders and was injured while the other proceeded to slash two ponies on their sides. The animals are now recovering but were left traumatized by the attack.
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