323 reindeer die in a freak lightning storm

[savethelephant]

In a lightning storm in Norway, more than 300 reindeer die.
Very strange, aside from Saiga, I've never heard of a death of a herd on a scale like this
https://www.yahoo.com/news/more-300-reindeer-killed-lightning-norway-095020805.html

 

[overread]

Even grouped up together that is one extreme blast of lightning to hit all 300 in one go. Normally you think of lightning hitting one person or a very small area but 300 animals even clumped together is still quite an area. Although I guess if they were wet from the rain earlier in the storm it would have made them quite conductive and the charge could have travelled over their wet coats deer to deer very easily.

 

[savethelephant]

A possible explanation:
How exactly did lightning kill 323 reindeer in Norway? | The Verge

 

[overread]

That was some very interesting reading and certainly gives a viable explanation!