Today, news that has quickly gone around the world was released. In Norway, 323 reindeer have been found dead from a lightning strike. The animals were found by a ranger in the Hardangervidda National Park. The strike is believed to have occurred last Friday, as major storms were recorded in the area. This specific area has a population of around 25,000 wild reindeer. It is the place with the most reindeer in the world.
The animals possibly died from what is known as "ground current". This electrical effect occurs around the point where lightning strikes. It consists of the current that disperses through the ground going up one leg and down the other, which is especially deadly for animals as it affects vital organs. In fact, most of the animals died from cardiac arrest.
During a storm, animals tend to group together and take shelter under trees, a fact that contributes to these tragedies. However, the scale of deaths is highly unusual. There has been no record of so many deaths from a single strike since 654 sheep died during a storm in 1918.
It is precisely because of these kinds of tragedies that it is necessary to protect farms with lightning protection systems. Animals that are outdoors are very exposed to these misfortunes in the event of a storm.
This news about the dead reindeer, while exceptional, reflects a real risk.
