Mystery as 25 dead cows discovered in paddock

An investigation has been launched after 25 dead cows were discovered in a rural paddock in Western Australia.

An urgent investigation is underway after 25 cows were mysteriously found dead in a paddock.

A woman made the grisly discovery while driving past the semi-rural paddock in Oakford, Perth, on her way to feed her horses on Tuesday.

In a clip shared online, the woman claimed that one of the deceased cows had been lying on a pile of wood since Sunday.

It is understood that the owner of the property has been away, however his son told 7Newsthat the cows had all been suffering from pneumonia.

Due to the recent wet weather in the area, the dead cows were unable to be collected or buried.

The RSPCA will conduct a full investigation into the deaths to determine what exactly killed the animals and were at the scene inspecting the deceased livestock.

25 dead cows were found at the property. Picture: 7News

Pneumonia in cattle is commonly linked to bovine respiratory diseases and is the most common cause of illness and death in feedlot cattle, according to Met and Livestock Australia.

In order to treat animals affected, it is recommended they are isolated in a well-ventilated area protected from excessive heat or cold.

It is also vital to maintain hydration and provide easy access to water and feed while reducing any physical stress to the animal.

Antibiotic and anti-inflammatory treatment may aid in the cow’s recovery.

RSPCA WA told news.com.au that they were unable to comment on the case due to it being an ongoing investigation.

Back in April, a major investigation was launched after more than 500 dead horses were found in various stages of decomposition at a property near Wagga Wagga, New South Wales.

The corpses were found in a dry creek bed.

Wagga Wagga City Council said it was working with NSW Police to investigate the deaths of the horses.

The RSPCA is investiating the case. Picture: 7News

“Once the inspection of the property commenced, it became clear that the slaughtering of horses had been occurring for a long period of time,” they said in a statement.

“Numerous separate dumps of carcasses were discovered at locations throughout the property.

“Once the extent of the operation had been identified, NSW Police and other State Government agencies began collecting evidence for possible offences and regulatory actions under a range of NSW State Government legislation.”

Some of the horses were no more than skeletal remains, while others appeared to have been killed relatively recently, the council added.

The local council’s general manager Peter Thompson told the ABC it was a “difficult sight”.

“I think it’s quite confronting when you see 500 [horse carcasses],” he told the outlet.

“One pile was 200 and then we did rough counts on other piles on various locations throughout the property.

“An attempt had been made to cover up those horses with soil. That attempt had been made in the days before our arrival.”

Wagga Wagga councillor Michael Henderson said he was floored by the discovery.

“It just took us all by surprise. That’s not the sort of thing you’d expect to find in this area, especially the number of horse carcasses [that] were found,” he told the outlet.

“[It’s] very out of character for this region.”

Originally published as Mystery as 25 dead cows discovered in paddock