More than 300 reindeer killed by lightning in Norway - graphic photo

[malaise]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-29/more-than-300-reindeer-killed-by-lightning-in-norway/7796418?pfmredir=sm
<snip>
More than 300 wild reindeer have been killed by lightning in southern Norway, Norwegian officials say, in the largest such incident known to date.

The 323 reindeer, including 70 young, were found on Friday by a gamekeeper on the Hardangervidda plateau, a national park where Europe's largest herd of some 10,000 wild reindeer roam freely.

Television footage showed the animals' dead bodies lying close together on the ground.

"There were very strong storms in the area on Friday. The animals stay close together in bad weather and these ones were hit by lightning," an official from the Norwegian Environment Agency, Kjartan Knutsen, told AFP.

Reindeer are social creatures and usually move in packs.

[Fla Dem]

1. OMG, what a shame. Surprised we don't hear of this type of thing happening more often.

When there is a natural disaster like the flooding in Louisiana, or the forest fires on the west coast, I think about all the animals that never had a chance to escape. But then I think, it's nature; for the most part beyond our control.

And yes, before some asks, I care about the humans too.

[CrispyQ]

2. Oh, how sad!

I've never heard of anything like this before.

[malaise]

8. A first for me as well

but I'm betting that it's happened before.

[True Dough]

3. And that's how random our world is

One moment wandering the tundra with only concerns about finding food and avoiding predators. The next moment, the herd lies dead from a lightning strike. No part of "God's plan" at work here, I would say to those who believe in predestination.

This does remind me of a recent post I saw on Imgur. A father confessed that when he was driving his family down the highway and they encountered a dead deer on the side of the road, in a demonstration of cruel humor he remarked to his kids, "Oh look. That reindeer must have made Santa really angry!"

[malaise]

9. Nature rules

It's that simple

[Glassunion]

4. That's crazy.

[Younemeen]

7. oh my...

that's so so sad... poor animals... I can't look at such pictures, I am a real animal lover...

[Eleanors38]

10. "nature running its course" is leaving them to decompose. Too late for meat salvage...

When there is a planned herd-thinning of (usually) white tail deer in the U.S., the hired hunters/wardens are required to quickly gather up the animal for butchering off-premises, and delivering to food banks. No way in this situation.