Sometime before 11 a.m. Wednesday, someone hung a dead black-and-white Holstein calf halfway down the chimney of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, 638 E. University Blvd.

A passing UA student called university police Wednesday after seeing Alpha Gamma Rho members throwing the hog-tied calf from the second-story roof.

According to police reports, the members were disposing of the calf, which they had discovered earlier in the day.

"We were waiting for lunch and smelled something rotten," said Damian Solomon, social chair of Alpha Gamma Rho. "When we opened the chimney, we found blood on the sides and a strong smell of manure."

Members then climbed to the roof and found the calf suspended by its rear legs inside the chimney.

Solomon said the calf appeared to have been dead for two or three days because "it was not stiff and had barely started to stink," police reports stated. The calf was taken to a dairy and disposed of there.

"We are aware of the incident," said Veda Hunn, assistant dean of students for judicial affairs. "It is under police investigation now."

University police Sgt. Brian Seastone said police are pursuing the case but have no suspects at this time. Police reports indicate that the only source for Holstein cattle is the UA's dairy farm. Officials at the farm could not be reached.

Jennifer L. Jones, assistant director of Greek Life, said she suspects the Aggie house, an unofficial agricultural fraternity, in the incident.

"There is an ongoing rivalry between the Aggie house and Alpha Gamma Rho," Jones said. "In no uncertain terms are we condoning this sort of behavior. They do some pretty pathetic, stupid stuff."

"They are on our first suspect list," said Gordon Goodwin, an out-of-house AGR member. "They do a lot of pranks like that."

An Aggie house representative denied any involvement in the incident.

"As far as I'm concerned, I don't know anything about it," said Jason Lloyd, president of the Aggie house. "I have no knowledge of the incident."

"The Aggie house is not a recognized student institution," said Josh Brosky, graduate assistant at Greek Life Programs. It is not bound by Panhellenic laws or codes of behavior.

Jones said she believes the calf was obtained from UA farms.

"If there is a stillborn calf, they don't necessarily get rid of it very fast. It may have a tendency to be lying around," she said. "There is the possibility that someone could have gone out to the farm and gotten one."

Jody Burns, Pima County Animal Control official, said this crime, while difficult to prove, is a class-two misdemeanor. The infraction is punishable by $200 to $1,000 in fines, up to six months in jail, and three years of probation.

"I've been here 10 years, and this is the first time I've ever heard of a calf being involved with something like this, said Burns. "We have had many reports, but not of livestock."