Nexus - 0222 - New Times Magazine-pages

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CATTLE MUTILATIONS "DOWN UNDER"? was prepared for hard work and financial struggle. Finding dead cattle butchered in the pad- dock was something he didn’t expect two days after taking delivery of the property with his wife Samantha and baby son Thomas. The wasteful slaughter of two Santa Gertrudis steers confronted him early this month when he found the carcasses lying not more than 10 metres apart on a secluded bank of Warrill Creek. Although there were no obvious bullet- holes on the two-year-old steers, they appear to have been killed in quick succes- sion, One of the steers then had its rump cut out, which Mr Hughes said half explained some sort of reasoning behind the theft, but the rest of the carcasses had been treated in an almost bizarre and disturbing manner. The tongucs had been removed and the muzzles had been cut off along with the unmarked ear on both beasts. Mr Hughes said the police had inspected the crime scene but he holds little faith in finding out who did it. The only significant factor to come to light is that some other cattle in the district were shot and mutilated in a similar way several years ago. He has worked out that the crime occurred when nobody was at the farm and he was ferrying equipment to the property from his father's holding at Canungra. "There's not much you can really do,” Mr Hughes said. “It's disappointing that it had to happen straight off.” Both of the steers cost $600 each from the Toogoolawah store sale earlier this The number of ‘cattle mutilations’ contin- ues to grow worldwide. The following is extracted from a local newspaper, and serves as a typical example of the cattle mutilation mystery. An excellent documen- tary on the subject is currently available: see Video Reviews this issue. When Christopher Hughes went ‘halves’ with his father in a farm at Mutdapilly, he year, He said the incident didn't make the real- isation of his plans for his 125 ha property, “Cobbie", any easier. (Source: Queensland Country Life, 28 July 1994) 68 ¢ NEXUS Stock Shooting Angers Farmers OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 1994