My special guest returning to the show tonight is Linda Moulton Howe, who's here again to discuss the ongoing mystery of cows found on ranches with organs and tissue removed without an ounce of blood spilled.     1973 mutilations On December 4, 1973, law enforcement reported a wave of cattle mutilations in seven counties across Kansas and Nebraska.[11] Sexual organs were reported to have been removed. Weeks later, 38 mysterious cattle deaths had occurred across 11 counties.[11][12] Multiple lab tests suggested many of the animals had died from "blackleg," a cattle disease.[13] 1974 mutilations and unidentified helicopters[edit] By June 1974, mutilations were reported to have spread to Lancaster County, Nebraska. On August 20, 1974, the Lincoln Journal Star reported strange, unidentified helicopters shining spotlights into fields that would soon become mutilation sites.[14] One investigator claimed helicopter sightings had become a nightly occurrence, with both the FAA and the National Guard reportedly being unaware of any helicopter activity.[14] After ranchers began forming night vigils, the National Guard warned helicopter pilots to fly at higher-than-average altitudes to avoid fire from "jittery farmers."[15] State leaders called for an investigation.[16] By October 1974, it was reported that UFO conspiracy theorists considered cattle mutilations might be related to flying saucers.[17] Later developments[edit] Senator Floyd K. Haskell contacted the FBI asking for help in 1975 due to public concern regarding the issue. He claimed there had been 130 mutilations in Colorado alone and further reports across nine states.[18] A 1979 FBI report indicated that, according to investigations by the New Mexico State Police, there had been an estimated 8,000 mutilations in Colorado, causing approximately $1,000,000 in damage.[19] Many cases of mutilation have been reported worldwide since the 1967 Snippy incident, chiefly in the Americas and Australia. In South America, an estimated 3,500 incidents have occurred since 2002, when around 400 cases were reported.[20] Mutilation investigators assert that a large number of cases are never reported to authorities, perhaps no more than one in ten.[21] In the summer of 2019, five bulls were mutilated at the Silvies Valley Ranch in Oregon. It is estimated that each 2,000-pound bull was worth US$6,000. The FBI has not commented on whether or not there is, in this particular event, an investigation o. Still, the Silvies Valley Ranch offered a $25,000 reward for information on the topic.[22]   Animal cruelty and human activity[edit] It is alternatively hypothesized that cattle mutilations result from two unrelated deviant phenomena. The bulk of mutilations are the result of predation and other natural processes, and those with anomalies that cannot be explained in this way are the work of humans who derive pleasure or sexual stimulation from mutilating animals. Human attacks against animals are a recognized phenomenon. There have been many recorded cases and convictions around the world. Typically, the victims of such attacks are cats, dogs, and other family pets,[37] and the actions of humans are usually limited to acts of cruelty such as striking, burning, or beating animals. However, attacks have also been recorded against larger animals, including sheep, cows, and horses.[38] Humans, particularly those with sociopathic disorders, have been found to have mutilated animals in elaborate ways[37] using knives or surgical instruments. On April 20, 1979, C Hibbs of the New Mexico State Veterinary Diagnostics Laboratory spoke before a hearing chaired by Senator Harrison Schmitt. Hibbs testified that mutilation fell into three categories, one of which was animals mutilated by humans.[19]: 25  FBI records did not record the percenta