twenty-three cows struck down in Cantal

A sad discovery. Twenty-three cows were killed by lightning in Glénat, Cantal, on the night of Sunday June 18 to Monday June 19, breeders reported. “In the morning for milking, we noticed that about twenty cows were missing”explains Séverine Maze, breeder. “We found them dead under a tree. We had heard the storm at night but we had no idea about it”she adds.

Twenty-one cows were found lying on their sides, lifeless, and two others, paralyzed, had to be euthanized. “Milk is our main activity. It’s a big loss for production and then at the genetic level, these are cows that we have raised since they were very young”, she testifies. Breeders are now waiting for the return of insurance to consider rebuilding their herd.

The precise origin of the deaths to be determined

Thirty-six cows in the herd are unharmed. The insurer has passed and an independent veterinarian must determine the precise origin of the deaths. The release of funds should take a few days. “Cows struck by lightning, there are every year, but in such large numbers, it’s rare. It’s unfortunate for breeders with a double penalty: the loss of production and beyond genetics”underlines Mathieu Théron, president of the Young farmers of Cantal.

The department was hit by violent storms on Monday: 182 lightning strikes were counted in Cantal by the Kéraunos observatory, including 14 in Glénat.