A new video that appeared on the internet shows thousands of cows lying dead in Kansas City due to possibly the worst heat wave in the recent years. Rows of carcasses are seen lined up along the edge of a farm field in the video. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has admitted that at least 2,000 cattle died due to high temperature and humidity till Tuesday.
The temperature in the region has crossed 100 degrees and it's in the grip of the heatwave which threatens livestock.
Actual Number of Deaths Could Be Higher
In the past few days, health officials have received various calls to dispose of the carcasses.
The actual tally of deaths is believed to be much higher as the numbers are based on the request made by farm owners to dispose of carcasses.
Weather Factors Led To Heat Stress For Cattle
A spokesperson for the Kansas Department of Agriculture confirmed to NPR on Thursday that "several weather factors combined which led to heat stress for cattle that impacted cattle producers." But the representative also noted that cattle ranches aren't required to report those losses, "so we don't have any data about the extent of the impact."
Beef cattle dominate multiple regions in Kansas, which has dangerous weather conditions. The US Drought Monitor website currently classified the entire west half of Kansas as abnormally dry or in a drought.
In the past week, the temperature jumped in Kansas surpassing 100 degrees and its worst heat struck southwest Kansas county Haskell, which tops the cattle-producing counties in Kansas.
According to weather data from Kansas State University, the heat rocketed from a moderate-high of 79.9 degrees on June 9 to a scalding 101.1 degrees just two days later. Then came three more days of triple-digit highs that topped out at more than 104 degrees, reported NPR.
