Crack Auckland detectives rushed to the Hauraki Gulf after a boatie made a grisly discovery — internal organs floating in the water.
But the officers were stood down after the grim find was revealed to be the entrails of a cow.
Senior Sergeant Martin Paget, head of Auckland's Police MaritimeUnit, said the remains were spotted off Kauri Point, a 10-minute boat ride from the base, in March.
It is understood the remains included an intestine and a colon.
"We scooped it out of the water and it ended up in a bucket because it was obviously some internal organs of some mammal," Paget said.
"We have to treat [all remains] as if they were possibly human."
Paget had called Auckland City's police district commander Superintendent Richard Chambers and the station's criminal investigations bureau, with detectives rushing to examine the disturbing discovery.
Cartoon / Peter Bromhead
"We have to make a determination as to whether or not we think it is possibly human or whether there is foul play.
"Until we knew for sure it was an animal, of course we alerted our CIB colleagues and said 'You need to be aware of this'," he said.
"They came down to the base and had a look in the bucket."
Paget said his first instinct was that the remains belonged to an animal.
They were then carefully bagged up and transported to Auckland City Hospital where a forensic pathologist took minutes to verify the entrails were bovine.
Police have recovered animal remains from the Hauraki Gulf three or four times in as many years.
