How Did Lightning Kill More Than 300 Reindeer

“How Did Lightning Kill More Than 300 Reindeer?”, written on the New York Times website, discusses the cause of death of 323 reindeer in Norway. According to the article, a lightning bolt struck the hillside on the Hardangervidda mountain plateau. The electrical current traveled 250 feet in diameter from the striking point, leading to the death of the reindeer via electrocution and cardiac arrest. When looking at pictures of the scene, people were suspicious that over 300 hundred reindeer were suddenly dead from one bolt of lightning. However, John Jensenius, a lightning safety specialist for the National Weather Service, released information that supports the lightning theory. Most people were assuming that reindeer must be struck by the bolt of lightning or touching a reindeer that was struck. This is untrue due to the fact that, “When the electric discharge touches down it spreads out in search of places to travel. The reindeer, with their four hooves on the grass, presented potential pathways where that current could flow” (as cited in Fleur, 2016, p. 1). The travel of the electricity across the ground is what led to such a large slaughter of animals. …show more content…
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a transmittable disease found in deer species that is comparable to mad cow disease in the beef and dairy industry. According to the Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance, “Chronic wasting disease affects the nervous system and causes brain lesions in the deer. Reindeer that have CWD show few symptoms except for slight body deterioration and odd behavior” (2016). It is still unknown how chronic wasting disease begins or spreads. Currently, it is impossible to determine which animals are carriers without killing the animal to study the brain. With the carcasses of 323 reindeer, there is a possibility for new information to be discovered about chronic wasting