French horse attacks - 2020

[Lee]

France is currently experiencing a wave of horse attacks stretching across the entire country. Latest reports suggest as many as 30 animals have been killed to date.

On the one hand we have reports of animals "drained of blood", with eyes, ears and other organs removed, sometimes with "surgical precision". On the other there are crude "slash like attacks", one witness encountered "two men with knives" and Police have issued a photofit.

Whatever is killing horses in France, similar reports have come from the US, UK, Argentina, Belgium and other countries since at least the 1970s. To date nobody has ever been arrested.

https://news.sky.com/story/france-horses-killed-in-mysterious-ritual-like-mutilations-12059258

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1327646/france-horse-attacks-mutilated-animal-cruelty-police-investigation-latest

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020aug/26/series-of-animal-mutilations-mystify-french-police

https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/Map-More-horses-injured-in-France-in-latest-mystery-attacks-and-killings

https://www.thelocal.fr/20200904/the-strange-case-of-dozens-of-horses-across-france-mutilated-and-killed

Here we have a new mutilation, this time an Alpaca -

https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/un-lama-retrouve-mort-une-oreille-coupee-dans-le-lot-et-garonne-04-09-2020-8378490

[Lee]

This map shows the extent of the mutilations:

https://i.postimg.cc/FsDZgnQF/20200905-095651.png (https://postimages.org/)

[Lee]

Article from LMH, (subscriber only):

https://www.earthfiles.com/2020/08/29/agriculture-official-says-at-least-30-cases-of-surgical-horse-mutilations-throughout-france-since-2018/

[Garuda]

This map shows the extent of the mutilations:

https://i.postimg.cc/FsDZgnQF/20200905-095651.png (https://postimages.org/)

Oreille = ear
Oeil = eye
Parties genitales = genitalia
Autres = other
Mort = dead

[calikid]

one witness encountered "two men with knives" and Police have issued a photofit.

Not familiar with "Photofit". Sketch artist rendition? What is it?
.
Also, the LMH article references "...done in two stages." Not sure I follow. Death, then mutilation vs Vivisection?

[Lee]

Not familiar with "Photofit". Sketch artist rendition? What is it?
.
Also, the LMH article references "...done in two stages." Not sure I follow. Death, then mutilation vs Vivisection?
Yes, a reconstruction of the "attacker".
Apparently, on at least two occasions horses were found dead, without injuries. The following day(s?), injuries were discovered indicating that the attacker had visited the site again to remove tissue. It is very strange, but I know LMH has come across this before.

[calikid]

Yes, a reconstruction of the "attacker".
Apparently, on at least two occasions horses were found dead, without injuries. The following day(s?), injuries were discovered indicating that the attacker had visited the site again to remove tissue. It is very strange, but I know LMH has come across this before.

That does sound consistent with an animal dying, and then being scavenged at a later time. Vultures are rarely present during the kill (for example).
But I suspect the injuries were more surgical in nature? Did not really say in the linked article I read.
But they did mention the fact that "no meat was taken", that would also make scavenging unlikely.

[calikid]

Oreille = ear
Oeil = eye
Parties genitales = genitalia
Autres = other
Mort = dead

Thanks Garuda.
My Français is foudroyant

[Shere Khaan]

Here's a recent article in French (sorry calikid) for those who can read.

https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/entry/chevaux-mutiles-pistes-enquete-satanisme-charognards-internet_fr_5f50e9d8c5b6578026ca55d4

TLDR Probably multiple perpetrators with a common goal like shock, psycopathy or more sinister.

[Lee]

New links in the last 24hrs, Fox and BBC:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/world-europe-54046156

https://www.foxnews.com/world/french-police-hunt-horse-mutilation-suspects-dijon

[Lee]

Suspect arrested and later released after "alibi checks out" :

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/world-europe-54065973#aoh=15995562719913&csi=1&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s