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Photos: Goat Heads Found On Tree In Harlem Park
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 10, 2016
Modified Mar 10, 2016
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By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 10, 2016
Modified Mar 10, 2016
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A man walking his dog in a Manhattan park last week made a shocking discovery: a tree with several goat heads affixed to it. Guess it's that time of year (or every two years) again?
The man, Schuyler Hecht, sent the photos to Gothamist, explaining that he called the police after he found the "macabre" sight in Jackie Robinson Park, near 153rd Street and Bradhurst Avenue in Harlem on March 3rd. But Hecht told us on Tuesday, "My dog and I went back to the scene last night out of curiosity, and I was in dismay to find broken police tape and two of the heads still there...the cops had a disposition of 'these things do happen at times.'"
It's usually believed that animal body parts left in parks are part of animal sacrifice in religions like Santeria. However, after a goat head was found in Prospect Park last year, a self-described priest of "African Traditional Religions" told us, "It's disrespectful" to leave the head behind "because when we normally dispose of an animal, it shouldn't be found by others like that, especially in a park with kids or families. The main reason is that if the body is disposed of instead of consumed, that means that negative energies were absorbed by it, therefore, anyone else coming in contact with it, such as kids, are now able to pick up the possible energies."
While the police confirmed that they received the complaint on March 3, at least two of the heads remained there days later, as Hecht spotted them again on Tuesday night:
A Parks Department spokesperson told us the goat heads have been removed, adding, "We request that New Yorkers call 911 if this type of activity is witnessed, as it is illegal to kill or harm animals in parks."
For those keeping score at home, a severed horse head was found last month in a Harlem River Park.
Tagged
carcosa
goat heads
harlem
jackie robinson park
ritual sacrifice
santeria
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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