25 ponies found dead
Glen Innes, Nsw, AU (NZ)

Incident Date: Friday, Dec 16, 2011

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Name Undisclosed

Police have issued a media release stating that they have suspect. The suspect is "facing 25 counts of committing an act of aggravated cruelty upon an animal," according to a press release issued by the police.

An unsettling, and strange, discovery was recently made in New South Wales, Australia.[map] A tip-off last Saturday afternoon led police to a truck parking bay three kilometres south of Old Ben Lomond Road near Glen Innes. Officers followed tracks to a nearby cliff, where they spotted the bodies of 25 ponies of various colours and ages.

There also were no brands, tags or identifying marks that could lead police to the owner, according to an article at AFP.

Some of the animals were in early stages of decomposition. Those that weren't in the stages of decomposition were able to be examined - and showed no obvious signs of wounds of any kind.

Officials are saying that all of the twenty five ponies had died of mysterious circumstances. "We're keeping a very open mind because we have very little to go on," Inspector Rod Shoesmith, of Armidale police station, told
What makes it more bizarre is something mentioned by a resident living in the area, from the SMH article:

Gary Tarrant, who lives on Old Ben Lomond Road, was baffled by the crime. "No one around here would have 25 horses," he said. "We've got a couple. Most people have a couple."

Not only does no one person own that many horses, but the article says nothing about people reporting their horses stolen. (Maybe there aren't even that many horses to steal.)

Police have posted a media

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