FBI Files: Cattle & Animal Mutilations

Cattle mutilation (also known as bovine excision) is the apparent
killing and then mutilation of cattle under unusual or anomalous
circumstances. Sheep and horses have been allegedly mutilated
under similar circumstances.
Document Archive:
Animal Mutilations Animal & Cattle Mutilations – FBI Release #1
– [131 Pages, 9MB] (https://bit.ly/3wWKb2y) – This is a compilation
of the original release by the FBI on Animal and Cattle Mutilations.
In the mid-1970s, reports of scattered animal mutilations in western
and mid-western states concerned many people. The FBI was asked to
investigate, but was unable to do so because of a lack of jurisdiction
(except when such mutilations were found on Indian lands). These
files consist mainly of press clippings and correspondence
concerning the issues between 1974 and 1978.
Animal & Cattle Mutilations – FBI Release #2 – [10 Pages, 3.8MB]
(https://bit.ly/3PN0lEe) – In early 2018, I requested additional
records relating to Animal and Cattle Mutilations, that were not
released in the above records, and ultimately posted on the FBI’s
“Vault” website. Based on this response, I did request any additional
documents. On August 8, 2018, the FBI sent me a letter and said now
I have everything, and no more records exist.
Animal & Cattle Mutilations – FBI Release #3 – [41 Pages, 15MB]
(https://bit.ly/3x4FPYJ) – This was a continuation of the above
requests. In July of 2021, I filed a FOIA request for records not
posted to the FBI’s “Vault” website. To my surprise, numerous
pages came up.
For this particular release, to expedite it, I amended the request
for records dated 2000-2005, which yielded approximately 40
pages on the estimate. That drastically reduced the processing time.
Although the records did get partially released, it was an animal
mutilation, but nothing mysterious. However, the FOIA request also
revealed that more records should have existed (unknown if they
were involving the same case) but those records were both lost
— and they had proof some were likely destroyed.