Reports from Kansas indicate that high summer temperatures and drought have led to the unexpected deaths of thousands of head of cattle.

Farmers were unprepared to deal with the situation, the reports say, and so were unable to send the animals to slaughter in time. In many cases, even selling the carcasses for pet food and  fertiliser proved impossible and thousands have gone to landfill instead.

As well as the financial loss farmers have incurred, State authorities have warned of environmental challenges arising from the situation. Burying cattle in landfill attracts wild animals to landfill sites. Animals buried in fields instead can also pose an environmental threat of contamination to groundwater.

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