It seems that there is a cruel and inhumane group of criminals who are going around France, attacking horses and donkeys in the most vile ways imaginable.

The French police said they are tracking down the culprits behind at least 15 cases of vicious attacks.

Although the simple act of practicing violence towards the innocent horses and donkeys are vile in itself, the cruelty with which they were done has shocked even the most hardboiled police officers.

Evidence from the scenes suggest that these criminals mutilated the horses while the animals were still alive – meaning that the poor, defenseless animals most likely met an agonizing death. From ears and eyes to bone pieces, the attacks were varied and all equally cruel.

Moreover, what adds to the confusion is that these criminals do not seem to be focused on the killing as much as they are invested in the mutilation. Whereas a recent case involved the mutilation of a horse that met its natural death, other cases involved actively stunning and torturing animals.

Adding to the disturbing nature is how the police have failed to identify the exact cause behind these crimes. Different hypotheses have been circulated among officers and online forums.

Some speculate that the attacks are a twisted form of sexual fetish or cult ritual while others believe it may have to do with one of the viral online challenges. As of now, there is no evidence to prove or disprove any of these theories.

The exact cause behind the attacks are likely to remain a mystery before the culprits are taken into custody. In a Facebook post, the local police force said that they are taking the cases very seriously, and asked people to report any suspicious individuals that may be related.

The first instance of this serial mutilation is traced back to a report in February. Reports say that the dead horse was missing one of its ears as a result of a deliberate effort to remove it.

Less than a week later, a racehorse that met the same fate was reported. Oddly, these two events took place in different corners of France. Since then, the frequency of the attacks have increased all around the country.

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