HARDANGERVIDDA NATIONAL PARK, NORWAY — More than 300 wild reindeer were killed by a single lightning strike in the southern part of the country, officials said on Monday. <br /> <br />It is believed the incident occurred last Friday afternoon when thunderstorms hit the Hardangervidda National Park, according to BNO News. <br /> <br />A gamekeeper at the park discovered the 323 dead reindeer on a plateau later that night. Officials weren’t able to visit the site until Sunday. <br /> <br />All of the reindeer were found in a radius of just 50 meters, according to Elin Fosshaug Olsø, a spokeswoman for the Norwegian Environment Agency. <br /> <br />“We believe all the reindeer were killed as the result of one single powerful lightning strike, because of the way they were positioned, Olsø said. “We have never experienced such a large number of reindeer killed by lightning at the same time before. This is as far as we know a unique incident.” <br /> <br />The national park is home to Europe’s largest herd of around 10,000 wild reindeer that roam freely, according to AFP.
