More than 300 wild reindeer were killed by lightning in a Norwegian national park - experts say they have never seen anything like it. Altho...
More than 300 wild reindeer were killed by lightning in a Norwegian national park - experts say they have never seen anything like it. Although the details of the incident are yet to come, the suspicion is that the reindeer were huddled together during rain, and when the lightning struck, energy traveled all over the floor to the legs of the animals, killing them.
"We are not familiar with any previous event on this scale," said Kjartan Knutsen, the Norwegian Environment Agency. "There are only incidents where sheep were killed in groups of 10 or 20, but we've never seen anything like this," he said Knutsen.
At last count, 323 reindeer had been killed during the storm - which took place on 26 August. Like them, 70 calves were also killed. Until now, only five reindeer survived with severe injuries.
Something like this could happen?
As Knutsen account, rays are famous for are occasionally kill animals because they tend to congregate under the trees during the rainy season. When lightning comes, you have to be very unlucky to be hit by the "primary flash channel" in which all electricity is discharged you, but animals are often killed by a ground current, where electricity travels through ground.
The fact that the ground was drenched by rain, also means that it would have been a very good conductor for the current to travel by land. Below images of reindeer killed by lightning:
"We are not familiar with any previous event on this scale," said Kjartan Knutsen, the Norwegian Environment Agency. "There are only incidents where sheep were killed in groups of 10 or 20, but we've never seen anything like this," he said Knutsen.
At last count, 323 reindeer had been killed during the storm - which took place on 26 August. Like them, 70 calves were also killed. Until now, only five reindeer survived with severe injuries.
Something like this could happen?
As Knutsen account, rays are famous for are occasionally kill animals because they tend to congregate under the trees during the rainy season. When lightning comes, you have to be very unlucky to be hit by the "primary flash channel" in which all electricity is discharged you, but animals are often killed by a ground current, where electricity travels through ground.
The fact that the ground was drenched by rain, also means that it would have been a very good conductor for the current to travel by land. Below images of reindeer killed by lightning:
