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A woman was traveling through a rural area to feed her horses when she came across 25 dead cows.
Knewz.com has learned that one of the animals lying on a pile of wood had been dead for three days—and according to individuals living on the property, the entire fold succumbed to a viral case of pneumonia.
Upon probing the matter further, the local authorities heard that the animals lay where they died due to the soggy conditions making them difficult to remove.
The local Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) indicated that it planned on launching a full investigation into the matter—a claim that was confirmed by the sighting of two of its employees on the scene on August 21.
The property owner's son said that while all this had transpired, his father had been away.
Earlier findings by Australia’s Meat and Livestock Association have since given weight to the animals' alleged cause of death.
In a paper published in February 2022, it stated that: “Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) has been identified as the most significant infectious disease of feedlot cattle in eastern Australia.”
It was further noted that the best way to treat the livestock ailment effectively was to isolate the tainted animals in well-aired areas.
Easy access to food and water allowing for minimal exertion along with antibiotic and anti-inflammatory medications were also advised.
This discovery follows the sudden deaths of 150 Australian cows in March 2024. According to the online news and market intelligence service, Beef Central, 100 of the animals died en route to Indonesia while the other 50 expired while waiting in a quarantine facility.
The deaths triggered an investigation by Territory and Federal Government veterinarians who tested the cows for botulism (bacterial food poisoning)—an ailment that is difficult to detect given the low residual trace evidence it leaves in its victims’ blood.
The island country’s Department of Agriculture hence noted: “As a result, testing for botulism is a process of elimination and will take some time.”
Less than a month later Australia’s Broadcasting Corporation published a report stating there was strong evidence of the parasitic disease, coccidiosis.
Speaking to the Northern Territory chief vet. Dr. Rob Williams, they heard:
“Unfortunately we weren't able to come to a strong conclusion around this, but the evidence we've found strongly supports a coccidiosis diagnosis.”
Counterintuitively, the doctor indicated that this bacteria does not usually lead to their bovine hosts’ deaths:
“It's definitely not a contagious or infectious disease, but is one of those things that cattle live with and normally it's all good.”
As certain as he was, Dr. Williams refused to commit to a diagnosis, saying:
“Coccidiosis has been identified as a potential cause of the deaths, however, a definitive diagnosis has not yet been reached.”
According to the noted Meat and Livestock Association:
“Coccidiosis is most common in young animals that have not yet become immune, but can also occur in older animals in conditions of overcrowding, or during periods of stress.”