On Monday, finally, police announced that they had taken another look at those necropsies and had a glimpse at the scientific research on predation. (You might have thought that would have been the first thing they did, three years ago, but it was not.)<doc-sep>LONDON — For years, people in and around London suspected that a deranged sadist was behind hundreds of cat mutilations, the grisly evidence strewn around their streets and yards. But after a three-year investigation, the police revealed on Thursday that the likely culprits behind these inhuman acts were, in fact, inhuman: foxes. Focused on Croydon, a community south of central London where the disturbing finds were most common, the investigation included post-mortem examinations of cat carcasses found in the area, and involved animal welfare groups and veterinarians. In the end, detectives concluded that the cats were not killed by humans, at least not intentionally, but were more likely hit by cars and trucks, and later scavenged by other animals.<doc-sep>Police have revealed the identity of the so-called Croydon cat killer. Experts ruled foxes or other wildlife were likely behind the mutilations of several hundred cats that died in the south London borough and beyond, the Metropolitan Police said. There is no evidence of human involvement in the grisly incidents, the force said following an investigation lasting nearly three years, adding that it had informed the RSPCA and campaign group South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty (Snarl) of its findings. “The cats were killed due to major blunt-force trauma consistent with vehicle collisions. Scavenging foxes then mutilated body parts – especially heads and tails,” officers said. The saga began when concerned residents reported finding the mutilated bodies of cats in Croydon and surrounding areas in November 2015. Officers launched their investigation. In 2016 campaigners organised post-mortem examinations on 25 cats suspected of having been killed by people and six were deemed suspicious. Police found hundreds more reports from members of the public and charities including in Hertfordshire on the other side of the capital. 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The celebration marks the end of the Muslim month of fasting, called Ramadan. 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Send this page to someone via email For about three years, London police said there was a “serial cat killer” loose in the city’s Croydon district. Police received as many as 400 reports of seemingly violent animal deaths. They investigated, even going as far as to offer a reward for any information. The so-called Croydon Cat Killer mystery took on a life of its own, with Reddit users plotting conspiracy theories about the deaths. READ MORE: A serial cat killer is on the loose in England, with 400 pets already killed Local pet owners feared the safety of their furry family members. On Wednesday, the U.K. Metropolitan Police announced they had solved the mystery. They said there is no serial killer. And there was no human involved. Story continues below advertisement Necropsies on 25 cats found mutilated, often with heads and tails removed, showed no evidence of “human involvement.” They had died from blunt force trauma, consistent with being run over by vehicles. The mutilation was likely the result of scavenging by wildlife such as foxes. All the cases reported will now be concluded as “no crime,” police said. WATCH: Panic spreads after serial cat killer decapitates more than 400 animals in England 0:55 Panic spreads after serial cat killer decapitates more than 400 animals in England Panic spreads after serial cat killer decapitates more than 400 animals in England – Dec 19, 2017 They added that “there were no witnesses, no identifiable patterns and no forensic leads that pointed to human involvement” in any of the cases. The long investigation created extra workload for London officers, according to BBC News. Each case was probed individually with consultations from animal rescue groups and other experts. While police have concluded their investigation, one of the groups involved released a statement skeptical of the results. South Norwood Animal Rescue League said in a statement that the police’s announcement came as a “surprise.” READ MORE: Serial animal killer may be on the loose in Ontario, humane society says “We consider that the evidence we have gathered over the last three years does indicate human involvement and there is expert opinion to back this up,” the group wrote on Facebook. The animal advocacy group said they are seeking advice on how to move forward, and will first reach out to families affected by the feline deaths. — With files from The Associated Press