Warning: This story contains graphic content including images that may be distressing.
The gruesome discovery of multiple mutilated animals on a popular Vancouver Island beach has left residents in shock and authorities searching for answers.
On Tuesday morning, a dog walker discovered a decapitated seal on the beach in Cadboro Bay in Saanich.
Another woman who lives along the beach was later out for a walk when she discovered more animals that appeared to be mutilated: two headless seals, a deer missing some of its limbs and a pig half-buried in the sand.
Disturbing images below.
The woman, who doesn’t want to be identified, says she called the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to report the distressing find and was told by a the dispatcher said had never heard of anything like it.
When she described the injuries, she was told they sounded human-caused.
She has since sent photos of the mutilated animals to DFO but the federal agency did not provide an update on the investigation Wednesday. The BC SPCA says it has been notified of the carcasses.
“We can’t speculate at this stage what might have happened. I have brought the situation to the attention of our Animal Protection Services. Our officers will follow their regular investigative procedures, and will consult other experts and authorities as needed,” said an SPCA spokesperson in an email to CHEK News.
Saanich Police and the Capital Regional District’s Animal Care Services had not been notified of the discovery as of Wednesday afternoon.
With no answers, those who use the beach like Elaine and Jamie Lone are left to simply speculate and worry about a worst-case scenario.
“I don’t know if people are taking body parts from animals and then dumping them,” said Elaine.
“You don’t expect something like that down here, well, anywhere in Victoria, especially a pig,” said Jamie.
One resident said there have been unusually high tides over the past month in the bay, but whether that has played a part in the unusual discovery will remain a mystery unsolved, for now.
April Lawrence
