Lightning Strike Kills 16 Cows

[sammie]

Not sure iof this has been posted yet.

A lightning strike killed 16 cows which were sheltering from a storm in a field in East Lothian.

A neighbour saw one of the animals being struck as they stood under a tree at Saltoun House Farm, Pencaitland, on Sunday.

It is thought that the lightning conducted through a puddle to kill the other cows.

Farm manager Jim McDougal told the BBC Scotland news website he had been "very upset" by the "freak act of nature".

The 60-year-old said he and his daughter Alison had gone to the field after being alerted by the neighbour.

The beef farmer said: "It is a shocking thing to see. I felt numbness, it was unbelievable.

"They were all either sitting or lying where they had fallen in a regimented row. I have never seen anything like it in my life.

"The cows were singed and we could smell it in the air when we arrived.

"I am very upset, but it was a freak act of nature so there was nothing I could do about it."

His wife Elizabeth said: "Jim could not believe the carnage he saw.

"A man down the road saw a cow being struck by lightning and then the vet thinks it conducted the lightning to the other cows as they were standing in the same puddle under a tree."

A vet from Haddington took blood samples and confirmed that the 18-month-old bullocks had died from a lightning strike.

Link:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinbu...ast/8100953.stm

[Snowyowl9]

Yes just shows the dangers of standing under a tree,only last week one of our stand out trees was struck by lightning nothing would`ve survived underneath it as there was a puddle of water there also,the tree will survive.

Last time I saw a tree struck before was back in May 1993 and theres 1/4 of it left now.

Edited June 16, 2009 by Snowyowl9

[PersianPaladin]

Plenty of roast beef on the menu then.

[weather geek]

shocking story

[Neilsouth]

Plenty of roast beef on the menu then.

When its an animal we find it humorus , yet a human and its very sad. I think each should be equal

[Phil UK]

Cuts out the middleman, auctioneer to sell prime beef, already cooked.

Sorry!

Phil. (Awaits the lambasting comments!)

[Samsta]

yeah, one good thing came out of this: at least he didn't have to cook the cows

[Don]

yeah, one good thing came out of this: at least he didn't have to cook the cows

Sorry!