ST. CHARLES TOWNSHIP – The gory remains of four dead coyotes – two skinned and two mutilated – were found Feb. 4 on a walking trail at the Fox River Bluff East Forest Preserve, officials said.

Kane County Forest Preserve District Police Chief Michael Gilloffo said it did not look like the coyotes were killed or skinned where they were found.

“It looked like someone had pulled into the preserve there and dumped the carcasses of coyotes,” Gillofo said. “They were killed and skinned somewhere else and someone just dumped them in a pile. It looked gross, but they were not killed onsite.”

It is illegal to dump carcasses or waste in the forest preserves, Gillofo said.

Anyone with information about who left the coyote carcasses, can call Gillofo at 630-232-3415.

St. Charles Township resident Vicki Weilans, a state and federally licensed wildlife rehabilitator, said a friend came upon the bloody scene while walking her dog – and called her to come see it for herself.

“They were not all skinned,” Weilans said of the coyotes. “Two were skinned and two were mutilated. They were set up, put in such a way that it was more than just dropping them off the back of a truck.”

One that was mutilated had its legs cut off and put by his face, she said.

“The other one, I could not tell what was done to him, he was such a mess,” Weilans said. “Setting them on the path like that was for shock value.”

One of the odd things about the coyote carcasses was that all the animals’ tails were left with the bodies, Weilans said. Most often when any animal is skinned for its fur, the tail is included, she said.

“This does not make sense to me,” Weilans said. “The forest preserve is really trying to help with this and find out what happened.”