thousands of cattle struck down by the heat wave

Shocking and unbearable images in Kansas, USA. Thousands of cattle were found dead. Their carcasses were lined up by their distraught breeders. Their number is still being determined. Faced with these sudden deaths, the Kansas agricultural services explain that they see no other explanation than extreme heat.

In another part of that state, a rancher who hasn’t lost any cattle deems this cause possible. “I have never seen such a thing. You can lose a few heads, but never on such a scale. Colleagues told me that there had been a very sudden rise in heat and that it was more 40 degrees in the middle of the night”reports Greg Peterson. The phenomenon remained localized in certain areas. The animals could not have cooled off at night, their internal temperatures rising dangerously. Cattle are not used to such temperatures. Many breeders fear that this phenomenon will repeat itself in the future.