Livestock Mutilated, Left To Die
MORGAN TOWNSHIP, Ind. (STMW) - Someone has been mutilating livestock on a Porter County farm, cutting off their genitalia and leaving the animals to die.
As of Friday, seven male animals -- three steers, three bulls and a lamb-- have died.
The livestock owner first contacted police Oct. 14, although he declined to file a formal report at that time.
He said while burying a bull that died unexpectedly, he discovered that an unknown person had cut off its ear, penis and testicles. He then dug up two other animals that had died in the previous two days and discovered someone had cut off their genitals as well.
Two more steers, one in the pasture and another in its barn, and a bull were found dead Nov. 1, according to a police report filed on Friday. All had been mutilated in the same way.
According to the police report, each of the steers was bloated either right before or right after its death. An unnamed veterinarian said it was possible that someone injected them with insulin, to put them into shock so they would not move, but he did not examine the animals.
The monetary loss was estimated at $5,000.
Police are attempting to contact one possible suspect.
The owner of the farm in Morgan Township, near the Porter/LaPorte county line, declined to talk with a reporter about the incidents.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2010. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
