A London neighborhood is reeling after a severed cat head was discovered on a playground last week — and officials are working to figure out what led to it being there.

The head was discovered by a staff member at the bottom of a slide at Homerton Grove Adventure Playground in Hackney on April 24, The Evening Standard reported.

It is believed to have been left there between 6 p.m. the previous evening and 3 a.m. that morning, the outlet said.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) has launched a formal appeal into the incident.

“This is a truly horrifying story,” Michael Harrington, an RSPCA animal rescue officer, told SkyNews this week.

“We were alerted to the discovery of a dismembered black and white cat head at a children’s playground on Monday last week. The investigation is ongoing, but first impressions appear to indicate that this was a deliberate act,” he continued.

“The head was very carefully placed at the bottom of a children’s play apparatus and left in a way that it would be easily found. We have been informed that this particular piece of apparatus is one of the most used and popular things in the playground.”

Harrington added that the organization was grateful the head was not found by a small child, who could potentially have been “deeply traumatized” by the sight.

There is no CCTV coverage of the area near the playground, SkyNews said.

The RSPCA is appealing to any eyewitnesses to come forward with information.

“There is a uniquely disturbing situation and we are keen to get to the bottom of what happened here,” Harrington reiterated.