It's Official: Most Cat Mutilations Were From Predators
POSTED: 2:38 p.m. MDT August 1, 2003
AURORA, Colo. -- All 45 cat mutilations in the Denver metro area
during the past year were apparently the result of predators, not
humans, officials said Friday.
Aurora police Chief Ricky Bennett said necropsies performed on a
sample of 10 mutilated cats showed that, without a doubt, other
animals, such as foxes, killed the felines.
Police said previously that humans were apparently involved in some of the cases, but that they would have to consult with wildlife experts.
Those experts said that what appeared to be surgically precise
incisions were actually tears in the skin when viewed under a
microscope.
Utah authorities were the first to make the wild animal connection earlier this week and contacted Colorado investigators with their findings.
There have been nearly 50 incidents in the metro area in the past year, beginning November 2002. The reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a Colorado suspect was at $14,500.
At one point, the fear that a person or people were responsible was so intense that
authorities even stopped giving out information about the cases saying it might spur more mutilations.
The Colorado task force was assembled to look at the killings plans to
compile information from its investigation, in hopes of aiding
other states that experience a rash of pet deaths.
Additional Resource:
Previous Stories:
- July 30, 2003: Police: Animals Likely Cause Of Cat Mutilations
- July 14, 2003: Mutilated Cat Found At Sloans Lake
- July 1, 2003: Cat Found Mutilated In Jefferson County
- June 26, 2003: Is a Mutilated Cat In Lafayette Linked To Denver Attacks?
- June 18, 2003: Task Force Formed After Another Cat Found Mutilated
- June 17, 2003: Third Cat In 10 Days Found Mutilated
- June 12, 2003: More Mutilated Cats Discovered In Aurora
- December 10, 2002: Cat Mutilations In Parker May Be Linked To Aurora's
- November 12, 2002: Experts: Surgical Precision Of Cat Mutilations Worrisome
Copyright 2003 by TheDenverChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.








