A number of mutilated cat carcasses have been found over the previous few days in Saitama metropolis in larger Tokyo, Japan which has alarmed residents and triggered officers to beef up the safety protocols.
In accordance with the American broadcaster CNN (article past paywall), the primary grim discovery got here into limelight when a girl discovered a severed head and paws of a brown-speckled cat alongside the Arakawa River in Saitama metropolis. Days later, the police discovered the remainder of the physique hanging from the playground bars of an elementary faculty.
Two extra mutilated cat carcasses had been discovered, one in a subject and one other on the aspect of a small city highway within the metropolis. There isn’t any proof that these horrifying acts might have concerned human victims, however have left Saitama on edge due to its historical past with such incidents.
For the reason that carcasses have been discovered close to a college, academics have been requested to escort youngsters residence and advise them to stroll in massive teams. A girl in her 80s advised Japan’s public broadcaster NHK that she felt “scared and uncomfortable” after listening to concerning the cat killings and that her issues went past animal welfare.
Lately, a Japanese man who used to torture animals together with cats and posted movies on-line was jailed. Within the late Nineties, one other Japanese metropolis Kobe witnessed baby killings after a 14-year-old boy with a historical past of animal cruelty killed a ten and 11-year-old and injured three others.
A Saitama police spokesperson advised CNN that they’ve stepped up patrols and are probing the cat killings as violations of Japan’s animal safety regulation. In Japan- it’s a crime to kill or injure animals– punishable with jail of upto 5 years or fines of round 5 million yen ($36,600).