Based on the American broadcaster CNN (article past paywall), the primary grim discovery got here into limelight when a lady 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 college.

Two extra mutilated cat carcasses had been discovered, one in a discipline and one other on the aspect of a small city street within the metropolis. There isn’t a proof that these horrifying acts could have concerned human victims, however have left Saitama on edge due to its historical past with such incidents.

Because the carcasses have been discovered close to a faculty, academics have been requested to escort kids dwelling and advise them to stroll in giant teams. A lady in her 80s instructed Japan’s public broadcaster NHK that she felt “scared and uncomfortable” after listening to in regards to the cat killings and that her considerations went past animal welfare.

In recent times, 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 little one 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 instructed CNN that they’ve stepped up patrols and are probing the cat killings as violations of Japan’s animal safety legislation. 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).