Curiosity didn’t kill these cats — but neither did a serial kitty killer.
The deaths and decapitations of over 400 cats in a London suburb — long suspected to be the macabre handiwork of a pet-poaching sicko — were actually caused by vehicles and foxes, Scotland Yard has reportedly concluded after a three-year probe costing thousands of dollars.
The felines were flattened by passing vehicles, then had their heads and tails gnawed off by scavenging foxes, detectives have finally determined after roughly a decade of the mysterious kitty carnage in the south London town of Croydon, according to The Telegraph.
“Following a thorough examination of the available evidence, officers working alongside experts have concluded that hundreds of reported cat mutilations in Croydon and elsewhere were not carried out by a human and were likely to be the result of predation or scavenging by wildlife,” the Metropolitan Police told the paper in a statement.
That examination included 10 feline autopsies — at the total cost of nearly $10,000 — that found vulpine DNA on five of the corpses, as well as previously missed puncture wounds, the report said.
Scotland Yard also pored over hours of surveillance camera footage, with some videos showing hungry foxes carrying cat remains in their mouths — and not a human in sight.
The ruling seemingly makes an urban legend of the “Croydon cat killer,” a supposed budding serial murderer mutilating cats and other small pets as a precursor to targeting humans.
One of the leading investigators in the inquiry had previously said that the deaths looked to be the work of a 21st century Jack the Ripper in the making.
“There is a known link between serial killers and harming animals,” said Det. Sgt. Andy Collin, according to The Telegraph. “If you look at offending patterns, the assumption is this killer is getting some form of gratification.”
“The concern is they will cease getting that gratification and escalate the attacks to humans, specifically vulnerable women and girls,” he continued.
Despite the findings, not everyone is convinced that there isn’t a cat killer stalking the streets of Croydon.
“We consider the evidence we have gathered over the last three years does indicate human involvement and there is expert opinion to back this up,” said a spokesperson for South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty, a charity credited with bringing international attention to the deaths.