Busch Gardens amusement parks in Williamsburg, Va. and Tampa, Fla. have decided to remove headless props from their Howl-O-Scream Halloween attractions after customers complained that the displays reminded them of the beheadings carried out by Sunni militant group ISIS.

"Many of the scenes depicted at Busch Gardens' Howl-O-Scream are graphic in nature, but they are fictional and are not intended to provide commentary on current world events," Busch Gardens said in their statement announcing the props' removal from parks. "The props in this year's event were designed and purchased several months ago. In light of recent events, some of these props would have had the unintended consequence of appearing insensitive and will not be part of Howl-O-Scream."

The Virginia Gazette caught flack from readers for publishing photos of the headless figures on the front page of their Saturday edition. The paper's editor, Rusty Carter, was apparently forced to make a statement to explain the decision, writing, "The photo was taken last week as part of an assignment to preview a current exhibit. The figures are cartoonish in design, and do not look realistic. It is the job of our reporters and photographers to report and photograph the news, not censor it."

The headless props were part of the pirate-themed Cut Throat Cove section of the Howl-O-Scream attraction. "Cut Throat Cove™ is the haven for bloodthirsty, dangerous rogues—where the scurvy dogs, buccaneers and scoundrels go for shelter. Proceed with caution," the Busch Gardens' site warns.

"I think it was good that they pulled it," park goer Hartley Bond told WRIC. "I think it was out of order and insensitive to public sentiment. So I'm glad they responded."

[Image via Bush Gardens/Facebook]