These images are highly distressing.
Hundreds of wild reindeer have been killed after they were struck by lightning in the Hardangervidda region of Norway on Friday.
The region between Møsvatn and Kalhovd suffered severe freak thunderstorms which hit a nature park in southern Norway.
Freak lightning storm kills 323 reindeer in Norway https://t.co/5rT6FaWn1D pic.twitter.com/FOBFik9XVF
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 29, 2016
The 323 dead reindeer were uncovered by a hunting warden at the Norwegian Nature Inspectorate in an area said to be between 50-80 metres in diameter.
It is believed that the reindeer, which included both adult and calves, died in such high numbers as they were all huddled together.
Knut Nylend, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Nature Inspectorate said
“There was an especially heavy thunderstorm in the afternoon. The herd was probably struck dead by lightning. This is very special. I’ve heard of cattle being killed by lightning, but not in such huge volumes.”
Samples of the reindeer’s blood and tissue will now be tested in laboratories for chronic wasting disease (CWD), the reindeer equivalent of mad cow disease that is only found in adult animals such as mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk or moose.
Photos emerge from Norway where a single lightning strike has killed at least 323 reindeer https://t.co/L0I6CAOQbo pic.twitter.com/Xbmpwper37
— BNO News (@BNONews) August 28, 2016
CWD had been detected in both Norwegian reindeer and elk earlier this year, however according to Sputnik news, there is no evidence of the transmission of this disease to humans.
As of yet, the Norwegian Nature Inspectorate have not confirmed how they will dispose of the deer carcasses.
