The mystery over dead birds discovered in a local cemetery may be connected to the start of Lent.

A Kutztown University anthropology professor said the dozens of chicken carcasses found at Aulenbach Cemetery in Mt. Penn and Reading, does not mean there is a satanic cult in Berks County.

"Rituals like this take place to try and maintain balance between the physical world and the spiritual world, and a graveyard or a cemetery is a place where those two places combine," said James Delle, an anthropology professor at Kutztown University. 

Delle agreed with the Humane Society of Berks County that the remains are related to a religion called Santeria.

"They emerge out of the fusion, if you will, of African religions, European Christianity and Native American religions that existed at the time that the African slaves were brought over and the Europeans came over to conquer what is now the Caribbean," said Delle.

Lent for Christians starts Wednesday.

"We're entering into the season of Lent, which is the season of sacrifice that Christians are supposed to give something up," said Delle, who added that those who practice Santeria take the word sacrifice more literally. "They are taking something of value themselves. They themselves could have eaten and giving it up as part of this ritual."

That is also why the ritual of killing animals is not considered a crime.

"And the courts decided this practice was protected by the constitutional protections of freedom of religion," said Delle.

For many people, however, the ritual elements look like trash and are disrespectful.

"They don't consider it to be littering," said Delle. "What they're doing is providing a sacrifice on this altar of the earth if you will."

Santeria is a folk religion that is often practiced in private because people are concerned about being scorned, Delle said.