26 May 1994
(The Taos News, New Mexico )
Quote from the article:
“A spate of unusual animal deaths an Taos and Colfax
County has a number of
ranchers and townsfolk worried — and watching the skies.
Described as classic examples of ‘cattle mutilations,’
the animal deaths reportedly have been occurring near Questa, Eagle Nest and Taos within the past few
months.
…
[Gail] Staehlin said 17 mutilation cases were reported
in the region last year and five so far this spring. She added that usually
only one in six cases is reported to authorities.
According to speakers, reports of animals being killed
in similar manner reached a peak during the mid-1970s, with most occurring in
northern New Mexico and southern Colorado .
‘We live in the place where it started, the
epicentre,’ [Christopher] O’Brien said. ‘This is the home of this thing.’
…
Information provided at the seminar also concluded the
incidents may be tied to space aliens, unidentified flying objects, …
…
A number of cases have been reported in the Taos area. The first
specific mention of local incidents in which the term ‘cattle mutilations’
appeared was in a June 24, 1976, The Taos News article by Paul C. Merz
Merz reported that a mutilated cow was found May 13, 1976, near Pot Mountain ,
across the John Dunn Bridge
west of Arroyo Hondo. Several at the time appeared to have occurred near the
13th day of each month, he wrote.
Gabe Valdez, a state police officer from Dulce, was quoted as saying of
a June 13 incident that he saw ‘some type of aircraft,’ which landed near the
carcass af a mutilated cow and ‘scorched grass’ on the mesa about 550 feet from it.
...
A The Taos News article by Phil Bateman from Dec. 21, 1978, speculated a
UFO sighting in Ranchitos [Ranchito] that July was tied to another round of mysterious animal deaths.”
(tageo.com photo)