Authorities in Jefferson Parish and the Mississippi coast are searching for answers to a bizarre situation in which iguanas are being found with their legs bound with electrical tape and zip ties.

According to the Jefferson Parish (La.) Protection & Animal Welfare Services, (JPAWS) three iguanas have been found alongside roadways since mid-April, with their front legs bound behind them in a manner similar to suspects who have been handcuffed.

Another was found tied in Saucier, Miss., according to NOLA.com, although that iguana was bound with its back legs tied up with its tail.

All four of the iguanas were alive when they were found, but two died shortly after, likely due to the lack of food and water, according to JPAWS. The other two have been turned over to rehabilitation centers and are expected to recover.

Officials, however, want to know who’s responsible.

“We are looking for any information that may help us find the perpetrator of these cruel acts against a defenseless animal,” read a post to the JPAWS Facebook page.

Micha Petty, who heads the Louisiana Exotic Animal Rescue Network, told NOLA.com the restrained and abandoned iguanas could be the result of someone trying to eliminate the invasive species and he also said iguanas are sometimes sold live and restrained in a similar way.

“Of course, the motive could also be run-of-the-mill sadism,” Petty told the outlet.