Just last week a herd of cows was electrocuted by a freak lightning bolt in Texas, making the group of 19 cattle the fourth herd of animals- in the last couple of months- to be killed by lightning. One single bolt hit a tree and killed the animals who were there taking refuge from the storm.
Breaks my heart.
“All of a sudden, a lightning bolt came down and the cows just fell. In the blink of an eye a lightning bolt, and there was lightning everywhere, but just one (bolt) and it was over”, reported Victor Benson who witnessed the cows death.
The first herd to die was in South Dakota in May. During a storm 21 cows were killed by lightning.
The next herd to die was in the Hardangervidda region of Norway. More than 300 wild reindeer, most likely huddled togther because of the especially heavy thunderstorm, were killed after they were struck by lightning at the southern Norway nature park.
The third was on August 25th, in the Indian district of Kanchipuram, where 38 sheep died after they were hit by lightning. Residents of the Kammalam Poondy village were devastated by the deaths of their livestock.
I’m personally unsure why there seems to be an uptick in lightening strikes, perhaps it has something to do with the El Nino and La Nina weather patterns, but it breaks my heart to know these poor animals were killed.
Source: Telegraph UK
