Lightning safety of animals

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Science
• Environmental Science
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Lightning strikes pose a significant threat to animal populations globally, causing injuries and fatalities in wild, captive, and domestic animals.
• Regions with high lightning activity experience considerable economic losses due to animal casualties, particularly impacting livestock with commercial value.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively analyze the mechanisms of animal injury caused by lightning.
• To investigate a wide range of documented cases of lightning-related animal harm across multiple countries.
• To develop and propose economically viable and practical engineering solutions for mitigating lightning hazards to animals.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of a diverse dataset of lightning-related animal injury cases from various geographical locations.
• Review of existing literature on lightning physics and biological effects on animals.
• Engineering design and feasibility assessment of protective measures.

Main Results:

• Identification of primary injury mechanisms, including direct strike, ground current, and step voltage, with a focus on commercially valuable animals.
• Quantification of the impact of lightning on animal populations based on analyzed case studies.
• Development of practical and cost-effective engineering solutions tailored to different animal management scenarios.

Conclusions:

• Animal safety against lightning hazards is a critical multidisciplinary issue requiring immediate attention.
• The proposed engineering solutions offer a viable approach to reducing lightning-induced animal injuries and economic losses.
• Further research and implementation of these solutions are recommended to enhance animal welfare and agricultural sustainability.