Update on the pony mutilation, Devon.

[Archina]

Hmmm...i dunno. 3 similar cases happening all within about 2/3 weeks of each other, seems a bit dodgy to me. I have also seen that post about the guy who used to mutilate horses. I have seen sheep when out hacking on the hills behind me that have died and been eaten by scavengers, all in different stages from a cpl hours dead to just bones and its pretty obvious. There are no clean cuts as scavengers tear from the carcass, they also normally start tearing into the back end or the abdomen which are the softest and most easily accessible parts of the animal. I do see one reason for the police trying to keep it quiet, lack of funds to carry out the investigation! Not saying it is, but its a possibility.

 

[Wishful]

There are (or at least were) strong rumours of big cats in the Holsworthy area - after they became banned as pets, and there are stories of cows and horses having big cat like scratches in the past. None that actually were fatal, but there were marks in the past, so can believe the possibility of abandoned big cats breeding and roaming..

 

[Dolcé]

I'm not sure I believe the 'conspiracy' theory regarding the police and vets as I'm not sure what they would have to gain from it. I do however believe that these are not straightforward deaths. Predators tear flesh, they don't cut it in nice neat lines. I will concede that crows may have taken the eyes, I know that happens, but why would any predator stop at half a penis, surely they would have torn off meaty flesh. The whole thing is very strange and I really hope they get to the bottom of it very soon, If this does have human involvement then I really hope those responsible are caught very soon.

I think the OP, who is obviously closely involved in this case, can be forgiven for their unfortunate wording and perhaps people could be a little more gentle. If this was my horse I know I would be trying to inform as many people as I could, to try and protect other animals and in the hope of somebody being caught. It must be absolutely heartbreaking to deal with something like this.

 

[Trinity Fox]

The case where the teeth were removed was an attack case where a stallion was sedated and killed, this case in the post mortem showed a natural death.

When there is a dead animal anything that eats the corpse foxes even birds always go for the soft parts of the animal this is the lips eyes abdomen area genitals while it looks alarming it is the easiest and softest part of the body to eat.

I know it is not nice to see and was upsetting for the owners but we should not be carried away by hysteria it is cruel but even stricken but alive animals are attacked by scavengers, this often happens with sheep etc.

Nature is not always nice and we must keep our heads so we catch catch the people who commit real crimes against animals.

 

[touchstone]

I've posted this link on another thread, but feel it is relevant here too. It shows the results of scavenging on cattle carcasses which were initially thought to be ritualistic or even alien attacks:- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1681190/pdf/canvetj00562-0052.pdf It is in Canada, so they will have some larger scavengers, but many of the smaller ones apply.

 

[hairycob]

2 years ago it was eastern europeans photographing horses rto be stolen. Last year it was gypsies plaiting hair for the same purpose. Obviously this years scare story is going to be satanic abuse.
Is anybody else old enough to remember the hysteria around the child satanic abuse scare in the North East? Loads of children taken into care, their families torn apart by accusations & the vast majority had suffered nothing more sinister than constipation.
I would bet that the cornwall case was personal - a revenge attack or such like. The others are things that happen naturally, possibly every week, but are now flavour of the month with the media because of the Cornwall case. Of course if you find your horse dead in the field ripped apart you are going to fear the worst, but at times like that friends need to be a calming, reassuring presence, not hysterical. I have had 2 horses put down in the last 18 months & sat with both of them waiting for collection so that the birds didn't scavange on them. In just an hour, with me sitting there, they were in the trees waiting for the chance, so I have no doubt a lot of damage can be done if they are alone for a few hours. Have you ever watched any of the channel 4 series were they observe over a few days how a corpse of an elephant or hippo is eaten - very informative.

 

[Tormenta]

I feel for the owners of these horses and as mentioned by a poster above, I do find it unsettling that two were young, black entires and from a similiar area. Would the Police and RSPCA try to play things down? Maybe, maybe not but it pays to be vigilant.

 

[Phoebe]

I'd have thought the RSPCA would love to get involved with a high profile case of regular mutilations....think of the publicity/donations

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

The case where the teeth were removed was an attack case where a stallion was sedated and killed, this case in the post mortem showed a natural death.

When there is a dead animal anything that eats the corpse foxes even birds always go for the soft parts of the animal this is the lips eyes abdomen area genitals while it looks alarming it is the easiest and softest part of the body to eat.

I know it is not nice to see and was upsetting for the owners but we should not be carried away by hysteria it is cruel but even stricken but alive animals are attacked by scavengers, this often happens with sheep etc.

Nature is not always nice and we must keep our heads so we catch catch the people who commit real crimes against animals.

Thank goodness someone's seeing some common sense here!!!

I live in East Devon; and worked for the local constabulary for 21 years as a civilian; so I'm not exactly given to "seeing things".

Yes - there ARE cat-like predators "out there". I don't live in the "wilds" of Devon by any means, this is by an large a farming area where I live. There is a chicken farm near us, and one Sunday morning a few years ago now my mum and I were driving along a quiet lane, and we saw a big animal - obviously a cat by the way it was moving and emphatically not a dog (we used to have a black Lab so know what size etc a dog is and also how it moves). This was a CAT by the way it moved and from its general appearance (jet black) I would have said it was a panther or a puma-type animal. It was bigger than a Labrador definately. We watched as it slunk along by the hedge and then disappeared through a gap.

I saw the local farmer after this, and he said that he too had seen it hanging around the back fields of the chicken farm - obviously seeing this as a source of food.

I know that other big cats have been reported elsewhere; but Defra in its infinite wisdom doesn't seem to think there's a problem.

We also had a badly mutilated deer on our property a few years back. RSPCA thought it was a road-kill, but local farmer and us thought otherwise (ha! - conspiracy!!!).

This is a serious problem tho' and won't go away.

 

[ester]

Hmmm...i dunno. 3 similar cases happening all within about 2/3 weeks of each other, seems a bit dodgy to me.

I think that can likely be explained by once one case has been reported as such other people finding dead horses in their fields immediately jump to that conclusion and also report. Whereas in other circumstances they might just ask their vet for a PM or get the body removed.

 

[FionaM12]

The idea that vets are in on a conspiracy to cover up satanic horse mutilation is absolutely lulu.

This is a serious problem people. It's obviously aliens.

These are my two favourite responses.

As others have said, finding your pet dead and partly eaten by animals must be horrific. However these conspiracy theories seem quite potty to me.

Do some people enjoy the drama of this sort of thing?