A strange mystery has left officials and residents of a Chicago suburb scratching their heads as someone keeps leaving remarkably well-prepared meals in a local park.
The weird offerings were first discovered earlier in the summer when a man walking his dog in the Arlington Heights portion of Centennial Park discovered that there was a delicious-looking pork chop sitting at the base of a tree.
Initially dismissed as a discarded leftover from a picnic, the pork chop proved to be the proverbial tip of the iceberg when a rack of ribs were found at the tree the following week.
Since that time, the meals have continued to appear in the park, much to the consternation of people who live in the area.
"Every week, there is something different that's left behind ... hard boiled and scrambled eggs, salmon, steaks and a whole rotisserie chicken," frequent park visitor Dino Bolos told the Chicago Tribune.
Although members of the community are baffled by the 'mystery meals,' they suspect that the person leaving them in the park are doing so in an effort to feed coyotes that have been seen there.
That is only one theory, however, as others have suggested that perhaps the meals are meant for the homeless or even as part of some kind of religious practice.
But the fact that they keep appearing at one specific tree strengthens the case, to some, that the meals are meant for the coyotes, because the recurring nature of the food's location would serve to 'train' the animals to expect food there.
Although the weird series of meals left in the park suggest an altruistic intention, one resident is not so sure about that conclusion.
"What if it's someone who wants to do the opposite of help the coyote, like poison them," Dean Sarnowski mused to the Tribune.
As of yet, no one has seen the person placing the meals at the tree, leaving many to conclude that the drop offs are occurring under the cloak of darkness.
Until the meals stop being left at the tree or someone identifies their creator, the odd food finds will remain a delicious mystery that's keeping many in the Chicago area bewildered by what, exactly, the purpose is behind them.
Source: Chicago Tribune