BURNS, Ore. — Warning: This story contains a graphic image.
Five purebred bulls were found dead and bloodless with their tongues and genitals missing in late July, according to Colby Marshall, Silvies Valley Ranch vice president.
The five cattle mutilations happened back to back over a two day period.
The ranch cowboys were out checking on their cattle when they found two purebred bulls dead and mutilated. The crew immediately notified the police, Marshall said.
The next day, they found three more bulls on their property dead with the same surgical like incisions and organs removed.
The young bulls were just reaching their prime and were each worth upwards of $7,000. Not to mention "these bulls typically produce about 20 calves a year," meaning hundreds of thousands of dollars of loss for the ranch, Marshall said.
These bulls weigh about 2,000 pounds each, taking one down is not an easy task, Marshall said.
“It took a team, several people, to be able to pull off this crime. These animals were taken and killed by people who knew what they were doing. There were no signs, tracks, or blood at the scene. We are dealing with folks that are very skilled in harvesting these animals and that makes them very dangerous,” Marshall said.
This isn't the first case of bull mutilations in the west.
Deputy Dan Jenkins with the Harney County Sheriff's Office in Burns, Oregon, said he has been investigating the cattle crimes and has been getting reports from all around the area, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.
The police do not have any credible leads or substantial evidence, OPB reported.
How these mutilations have occurred still remains a mystery, as well as why these crimes are being committed.
Now the ranch's cowboy crew ride in pairs and encourage those authorized to carry firearms to do so.
