A few years ago, mutilated cats appeared on the streets of Croydon, south London; thanks to DNA now we know what happened
It may be the case that Sherlock Holmes looks for even the smallest clue. Who is the “serial killer” of London cats? That was the question that was being asked by the media and generated a great stir. Between 2014 and 2018, more than 300 dead cats appeared on the streets of Croydon, a municipality south of the British capital.
The cats were mutilated, headless or tailless, but the aggressor also took it upon himself to clean the wounds. This was the reason that led many to suspect human involvement, although others rejected the suggestion and pointed directly to foxes.
To find out what exactly happened, Henny Martineau and his team from the UK’s Royal Veterinary College analyzed 32 mutilated cat carcasses found between 2016 and 2018.
Researchers carried out examinations post mortem of cats, as well as CT scans, that is, cross-sectional radiographs. They also cleaned the fur to try to find DNA from other animals, such as dogs, foxes or badgers. There were 13 different combinations of body parts that were missing, so it was difficult to spot patterns at first, says Martineau.
There were also deaths from natural causes
By performing a DNA test, the researchers concluded that all cats were mutilated by foxes after their death. The exam post mortem revealed that there was no single cause of death among the cats and suspected that only ten of the 32 cats analyzed were killed by foxes.
Meanwhile, eight likely died of heart or lung failure naturally, while six likely died after being hit by a vehicle. These findings reinforced the findings of the London Metropolitan Police in 2018.
Martineau thought the reason so many cats’ tails and heads are cut off is because foxes have weak jaws and heads in easy-to-eat areas.
Foxes can also explain the lack of blood at the edges of cat wounds. According to Martineau, the mutilation took place after the animal’s death, so that there would be no bleeding after death.
Researcher at the University of Glasgow, Kevin Parsons, explained that it is difficult to know how many foxes were involved, but it is possible that it was only one or a few, and they realized that cats can be good food.
Furthermore, Croydon is on the outskirts of London and the same would happen again. But it could also be that these foxes are especially “rude” and that these behaviors selectively disappear over time, Parsons concluded.
REFERENCE
Fox (Vulpes Vulpes) involvement identified in a series of cat carcass mutilations