The portion of raw meat has been showing up for weeks now, and every time a new heap appears – usually on Mondays but sometimes on other weekdays – citizens report it, according to Bruchsaler Rundschau newspaper.

The placement of the meat at the train station in Berghausen is not haphazard; each time it has been deposited behind a fence beside railway track beds.

This is an area where passersby and passengers aren’t allowed to enter as it is territory belonging to Albtal Verkehrs Gesellschaft (AVG) – the company that operates rail and bus services in the Karlsruhe area.

Some pet owners meanwhile worry that the meat is being placed strategically as bait to poison their pets. They have demanded that the meat be examined.

But the police have already given the all-clear.

“The notion that the meat is poisonous or being used as bait has been eliminated,” a police spokesman told Bruchsaler Rundschau, adding that the quantity of meat wasn’t enough to authorize an investigation into the illegal disposal of waste.

Besides, argue some members in a Facebook group created to discuss the mystery meat’s appearances, since the meat is placed behind the fence, it’s difficult for pets like dogs to access.

In the meantime AVG has tried to dispose of the minced meat as quickly as possible whenever it shows up, said company spokesman Nicolas Lutterbach.

“When our cleaning crew have arrived at the scene, often there was not much meat left,” Lutterbach added, unaware of whether any animals have ever eaten it or any residents have ever taken it upon themselves to dispose of it.

And while others have taken the regular occurrence with humour, some Facebook users in the group want to take matters into their own hands. A few have suggested the idea of having someone posted at the scene in order to catch the culprit. 

But whether the local municipality support this or have plans to implement it, police cannot confirm.