You probably don't hear about this type of thing every day! On range-land near Fossil, Oregon, a cow was found dead... and mutilated! If you're like me, your first thought might be "Aliens", but in this case, who ever did it (from this earth or not) may have left a clue in the form of a boot print!

The cause of death of the black Angus cow (worth about $1,000) is unknown and the investigation is ongoing. What is known is that breeding animal's carcass was found on July 23rd, upright, front legs tucked underneath in an unusual staging of the animal. The mutilation took the form of it's tongue, genitals and reproductive organs mysteriously removed.

David Hunt, owner of Hunt Ranch as well as a partner-producer for Painted Hills Natural Beef Inc. told the Capitol Press: “She died in a position she couldn’t have gotten into by herself. I don’t have any kind of logical explanation for it." Deputy Jeremiah Homes of the Wheeler County Sheriff's Office added that "There was definitely foul play involved in this animal’s death.

This isn't the first mysterious death the rancher has experienced. Just last December, a dead bull was found with its nose, lips, ears, tongue, genitals and tail removed as well as it's blood drained. In fact, FBI case files have recorded thousands of killings and mutilations of cattle since the 1970's all across the U.S. (including Oregon). No culprits have ever been arrested. Because of how the parts of the carcass were removed, being clean cuts, they can rule out wild animals and predators, although this most recent case was not as clean as last December's incident. How the actual death occurred is also a mystery. No bullet wounds, strangulation, tire tracks, signs of poison etc. The only lead is a partial boot print found about 100 yards away from the carcass.

Last December's case wasn't widely reported, but this time, the rancher gave permission in hopes to catch the killer.

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