KANSAS — Thousands of cattle have died due to extreme heat and humidity in Kansas.
Kansas Department of Health and Environment told Reuters that at least 2,000 cattle have been killed as of Tuesday due to the extreme heat and humidity that has been sweeping the country in recent days.
Reuters said the number of cattle deaths is from facilities that contacted the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for assistance with disposing of the dead cattle.
Temperatures have been over 100 degrees for Kansas in the last weekend. The Washington Post said the triple-digit heat so far is expected to last through Friday.
Parts of western Kansas will hit around 110 degrees this weekend but there should be more winds and less humidity, World Weather Inc. President Drew Lerner told Reuters.
The heat gave the cattle heat stress, which didn’t pair well with the humidity. Kansas Livestock Association’s spokesperson Scarlett Hagins, told Reuters that the cattle were unable to “acclimate to the sudden change.” Ranchers are working to help the cattle survive by providing more water and checking their health more regularly.
The Washington Post said Kansas raises more than 6.5 million cattle and is the third-largest cattle farming industry in the country.