Satanic cult blamed for ritualistic killing of Dartmoor foal which was horrifically mutilated in centre of ring of fire during full moon

Genitals, ear and tongue sliced during what is thought to be a satanic ritual

There are fears the stricken animal may have been alive during its ordeal



The pony was found in a remote part of Devon National Park on Tuesday

Patches of burned grass surrounded it and it had white paint on it's leg



A Satanic cult has been blamed for the sickening death of a pony, which was found horrifically mutilated and laying in the remnants of a ring of fire after full moon.

Police are investigating after the young male had its genitals, right ear and tongue sliced off, and eyes gouged out. It is thought the animal may have been alive when the atrocities were committed.

Its belly was hacked open and the young pony also had traces of white paint on one of its legs, suggesting it was killed as part of a bizarre ceremony.

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Sickening: The body of this two-month-old foal was found horrifically mutilated and there are fears it is the work of Satanists

It was also surrounded by circular patches of burnt moorland, which experts believe were left by a ring of torches or candles.

The two-month old pony seemed to have been dragged into a clearing and placed at the foot of a slope to face the previous night’s full moon.

It was found on Tuesday morning by a horse rider at Yennadon Down, a remote, area of Devon National Park.

Animal welfare officers are investigating and police have appealed to the public to be extra vigilant.

Horse carers believe the butchery was part of an evil occult or ceremony by Devil worshippers.

Dartmoor’s Livestock Protection Officer Karla McKechnie said : 'We do get strange things happening from time to time, normally when its a full moon.



'I’ve come across strange circles in the ground, boulders used as altars, that sort of thing, but thankfully animal mutilations are rare.

Cult: The foal was found surrounded by patches of burnt grass, suggesting candles had been lit during the ritual. It also had white paint of one of its legs

' I suspect its witches or devil worshippers but it’s always hard to get to the bottom of it.

' My main concern is how someone has been able to walk up to a foal and kill it in the middle of the night.I’m almost certain more than one person was involved.'

South West Equine Protection's Jenny Thornton believed Dartmoor ponies had become so used to being fed by humans they were now easy targets.

She said: 'I’ve seen plenty of dead animals but this was horrendous.

Clues: Marks on the ground including burnt patches of ground suggest it was the work of Satanists

'The belly has been sliced open. It’s a boy and its genitals had been cut off. The tongue had been pulled out and his eyes are missing.



'There have always been rumours of animal sacrifices and sheep have been found dead in the past,

often around the time of a full moon.

'All we can be absolutely certain of is that someone has caused unnecessary suffering to an animal, possibly severe suffering if it was still alive at the time.'



Easy target: Experts believe ponies have become so used to humans they are vulnerable to this sort of attack. Pictured here, the foal's mother

Dartmoor and the surrounding countryside in Devon and Cornwall has been dogged by rumours of Satanic rituals for years.



In 2012 a two-year-old horse called Eric belonging to Dawn Jewell, 27, was found mutilated on the day of satanic animal sacrifice.

He was found dead in his field in Stithians, near Falmouth, Cornwall, after a full moon with his right eye gouged out, his teeth removed and his genitalia hacked off.

Remote: The dead foal was found in Yennadon Down by a rider on Tuesday. An investigation into its grisly end is underway

The horrific attack happened on St Winebald Day, a date in the satanic calendar traditionally celebrated with bloody rituals.

In 2006 around 100 sheep animals were found slaughtered with their tongues, eyes and sexual organs removed on Dartmoor .

The bodies had been arranged in a Satanic star shape, known as a pentangle, or laid out in a circle with their necks broken.

In June of this year police appealed for information after two horses were found with 'gaping' knife wounds in neighbouring fields in the village of Stokeinteignhead, Devon.