Mass death of animals is one of the most strange natural phenomena. Why dolphins are thrown out by thousands on shore, and sheep flock with the whole herd to the abyss from the cliff?
In our collection the most famous and strange cases of mass death of animals in different parts of the world are presented.
The death of hippos in Uganda
In 2004, about 300 behemoths perished in a national park in Uganda. The cause of mass death of animals was the infection with anthrax. Spores of dangerous bacteria hit the pond, from which the hippopotamus drank water.
Death of Pelicans in Peru
In 2012, on the coast of Peru, carried about 1200 bodies of dead birds. The population was engulfed by serious panic, tourists in haste left the region. As a result, the mysterious death was written off to the banal shortage of the main food of birds - anchovies, which as a result of pollution of the surface of the water went to depth.
The Riddle of Blackbirds
One of the most mysterious cases of mass death of animals occurred in 2011 in Arkansas. Dead blackbirds began to fall to the ground in hundreds. Two days later, the same situation was repeated in Louisiana. At first, scientists thought that the birds had contracted some kind of fatal disease, but studies showed that there were no dangerous viruses in their bodies. But on the bodies of the dead thrushes there were many injuries. Since the cases occurred on the New Year holidays, it was suggested that the cause of the mass death was the fireworks. They could frighten the thrushes off their homes and give them panic. Probably, frightened and poorly seeing in the dark, birds began to fly on buildings and trees, as a result of which they received severe injuries and fell dead.
Dolphins-suicides
In February 2017, more than 400 dolphins of grind fled to the coast of New Zealand. As a result of this suicide attempt, about 300 animals were killed, the rest managed to be removed from the shallows and saved.
This is not the first such case. From time to time in different parts of the globe record mass suicides of dolphins and whales. Why animals do this, remains unknown.
The tragic death of white geese in Montana
In 2016, thousands of white geese died in the poisonous Lake Berkeley-Pit, which is in Montana. A flock of birds flew over the lake and decided to wait for the oncoming snowstorm on its surface. This decision turned out to be fatal. The lake contains a huge amount of toxic waste, including copper, arsenic, magnesium, zinc, etc. Drinking poisonous water from the pond, almost all geese died, only about 50 birds out of 10,000 survived.
The death of reindeer in Norway
In 2016, 323 deer were killed in the Norwegian national park of Hardangervidda. Researchers believe that the cause of death of all animals was a lightning strike.
The death of marine life in Chile
In March 2013, the beach of the Chilean city of Coronel was covered with thousands of dead shrimp and shellfish. For an unclear reason, the marine inhabitants jumped ashore, painting the coastal sand in red. The investigation of the incident did not lead to anything, and it is still covered with a veil of secrecy.
The terrible and mysterious death of frogs in Germany
A very unusual phenomenon occurred in 2006 on one of the lakes in the Hamburg area. The frogs inhabiting the pool suddenly began to mass die, while their deaths were like scenes from the most horrible horror films. At first the reptiles slowly swelled, and after their volume increased by 3-4 times, they suddenly exploded and burst, scattering their insides around. Thus, about 1000 amphibians died. A mysterious death of frogs was fierce debate, but scientists have not yet been able to find out its true reasons.
Mass suicide of sheep in Turkey
In 2005 almost 1,500 sheep rushed from a cliff in Turkey. As a result of this suicidal attempt, 450 animals were killed to death, and the rest managed to survive due to the softened fall of the bodies of the dead comrades.
Thousands of dead fish in Texas
In June 2017, thousands of dead fish were found on the coast of the Gulf of Matagorda in Texas. Coastal beach at 1.5 kilometers was strewn with corpses of mendadenas, flounder and trout. The cause of the loss of fish remained unclear, but some scientists believe that animals could be poisoned by toxins that secrete some algae during flowering.