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An investigation conducted by authorities in Southeast Texas seeks to find out what caused cattle to be mutilated.
Houston FOX affiliate KRIV reported that about six cows were allegedly found minus a few body parts with no presence of blood.
Ranchers in Madison, Brazos and Robertson counties told authorities that aside from no blood, there were also no tire tracks or footprints, to which one person said was “definitely disturbing,” per KRIV.
"It’s something everyone needs to take in with precaution and investigate a little bit,” Caleb House said in the report.
A retired law enforcement official told the station that the deaths of the livestock are a state jail felony.
"With the precision cuts and lack of blood, it’s someone who’s experienced,” former Houston Police Department (HPD) detective Mark Stephens said.
According to an Associated Press (AP) article that was run by Houston ABC affiliate KTRK, the Madison County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) said its investigators were looking into the death of a 6-year-old longhorn-cross cow on a ranch earlier this month when it learned of five similar incidents.
The cattle deaths are apparently not just limited to Texas.
"Multiple similar incidents have been reported across the United States, and we are actively coordinating with other agencies to find answers," the MCSO said in a Facebook post, the report said.
Stephens told KRIV that social media posts speculating either cult activity, aliens or chupacabra are to blame for the bovine mutilations aren’t true.
"It’s going to be a human endeavor,” he said. “We just got to figure out who did it and why. If you figure out the why part first, it’s going to lead you to who."
No arrests have been made, the station reported.
According to the Texas Department of Agriculture, cattle was the No. 1 commodity in the state with a market value of around $12 billion as of 2017.
The AP reported that the MCSO is urging people with any information that could be beneficial to the investigation to call (936) 348-2755.