Feathered Mystery?
In a startling incident, a pair of dead chickens has been unearthed on the Upper West Side for the second time in just four months, leading experts to speculate about a potential clandestine religious ritual occurring in this upscale neighborhood.
The two deceased golden-feathered chickens were spotted Tuesday morning, positioned head to tail on the median strip of Broadway and West 91st Street, as reported by West Side Rag here.
This unsettling event marks the third instance in just over a year that nearly identical chickens have been discovered within a three-block radius.
Previously, on May 24, two seemingly slaughtered birds were found at the median between Broadway and West 89th Street, right by Broadway Malls.
The chickens appeared to be intentionally positioned on the curve of the median facing the intersection.
Activists for animal rights suggest that these occurrences are part of a regular, disconcerting ritual sacrifice.
John Di Leonardo, executive director of Humane Long Island, mentioned to The Post, “The recurrent dates of these findings highlight the probability of a systematic sacrifice, which is unlikely to cease without intervention from law enforcement.”
For the third time in 16 months, two dead chickens have again been found arranged in the same manner along the outer ring of a Broadway street median from 89th to 92nd streets.
The continuing investigation by WSR has yet to provide any leads on the reason for these fowl crossings. https://t.co/OOkNwDuO3e pic.twitter.com/TgZTPkDrQG
— Gus Saltonstall (@GusSaltonstall) September 23, 2025
While animal sacrifice is frequently linked to Santeria or voodoo, Di Leonardo noted, “We have saved animals from being sacrificed by practitioners of various faiths, including certain Judeo-Christian and Hindu groups that utilize chickens in rituals like Kaporos in some Hasidic communities, the slaughter of cattle for Eid festivities, and during Shakti ceremonies in Jamaica Bay.”
The source of these chickens might be among the estimated 80 live slaughter markets operating within New York City, with several testing positive for dangerous diseases, as highlighted by the activist.
Di Leonardo revealed, “This year more than two dozen live markets in NYC have reported cases of avian influenza.”
“Although it is prohibited for live slaughter markets to sell live birds to the public, there are numerous violations of health codes as these markets often sell live birds for public slaughter, sometimes for cruel and inhumane ritual sacrifices,” he elaborated.
The pattern of poultry fatalities reconnects to June 25, 2024, when the first pair of deceased chickens were found at the median at West 92nd Street and Broadway, according to the Rag.
