The Mysterious History of Cattle Mutilation

Between April and October of 1975, nearly 200 cases of cattle mutilation were reported in the state of Colorado alone. Throughout the 1970s, cases had continued to mount throughout the American heartland. And in 1979—after thousands of reported cattle mutilations, causing millions of dollars of livestock losses—the FBI finally opened an investigation into a series of cases that had reportedly taken place on New Mexico’s Indian lands.

Similar cases involving sheep, cows or horses have been reported as far back as the early 17th century and as recently as 2024. The ‘70s cases, however, brought the most widespread attention. On April 19th, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office published a Facebook post about “the death and mutilation” of six cows, with an additional one being found later.