Mystery as six cows found dead with their tongues cut out by Texas highway

Madison County authorities baffled by discovery of cattle mutilated with surgical precision

High stakes: eating beef comes trailing a huge carbon and methane footprint (AFP/Getty)

Texas authorities are baffled after finding six cows dead with their tongues cut out and jaws sliced with surgical precision on the side of a highway.

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office was first alerted to the bizarre deaths last week when ranchers reported finding a mutilated six-year-old longhorn-cross cow near State Highway OSR.

The animal’s tongue had been removed with surgical accuracy and “no blood spill”, the sheriff’s office said in a statement on Wednesday. The hide on one side of her mouth was also removed through a “straight, clean cut, with apparent precision”.

“It was noted there were no signs of struggle and the grass around the cow was undisturbed. No footprints or tire tracks were noted in the area,” officials said.

Ranchers told investigators that it appeared the cow had been left to decay untouched for several weeks as no predators or birds attempted to scavenge its remains.

In the ensuing investigation, authorities discovered five other cows had been found dead and mutilated in a similar fashion in the OSR area, extending to Brazos and Robertson counties.

All six of the cows - each found in separate locations and belonging to different herds - had their tongues removed with a cut along the jaw. Two had their anus and external genitalia removed with a circular cut.

An official cause of death has not yet been determined for any of the six cows.

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office noted that similar occurrences have been reported across the country.

It said its investigators are coordinating with unspecified “other agencies”.

Anyone with information about the jarring case is urged to contact investigators at 936-348-2755.