WTAD
Half Price Deals

Four state wildfire kills livestock and wildlife

7 years ago AFBF

As wildfires devastate rural areas of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, Kansas officials say livestock and wildlife losses are increasing. More than one million acres have burned over the last few days in the four states, while also burning up livestock and wildlife in the path of the flames. Kansas veterinarian Randall Spare of Ashland, Kansas speculated to the Kansas City Star, “if someone had 500 cattle on their ranch, I’d guess at least 80 to 90 percent were killed.” Many ranchers have searched their pastures with rifles to end the misery of cattle that would otherwise suffer to their death from burns and injuries related to the fires. Spare said conditions could not have been worse for endangering livestock. He says the cows were just starting to calve, and there was plenty of grass available for them. But he called the amount of grass a “double-edged sword,” saying “that’s a lot of fuel that can burn in a hurry.” Farmers and ranchers also projected worry over wildlife loses, noting seeing dead deer and quail and other animals along their farms in the aftermath of the fires.

On Air NOW

RFD Illinois

RFD Illinois

5:00 am - 6:00 am
Listen Live!

WTADFacebook