A US farmer has described seeing his cows 'piled on top of each other' after lightning killed 32 of his very own cattle.
Texas County dairy farmer Jared Blackwelder went to his field and found 32 of his certified organic cows dead.
Earlier in the day, fierce lightning struck the area: "It was so bright I couldn't hardly see," he told USA Today. "It just brought fire down the fences."
A veterinarian confirmed the cows had been struck by lightning. Blackwelder suspects it was that same lightning strike that sent fire along his fences.
Wright County Missouri Farm Bureau shared photos of the dead cows on Facebook Saturday evening. As of Monday, that post has been shared more than 14,000 times, with more than 1,000 comments from strangers.
"Sending prayers from over the pond in Scotland," one wrote. "Regardless of what the cattle were used for, they are not only someone's livelihood, they were living beings. I truly hope you recover from this."
$60,000 worth of damage
Blackwelder said he has insurance, but he's not sure if it will cover his total loss. His cows are certified organic and about twice the price of conventional cattle, he said.
He estimated each cow was worth $2,000-$2,500 for a total loss of more than $60,000 (£46,000 as of 2 May).
Blackwelder's father is a beef cattle farmer so he's been in the business for many years. Blackwelder decided to get into organic dairy cows back in 2007.
Over the years, he's lost three cows to lightning.
