Livestock Farmers in Panic: Why Are Animals Unexpectedly Dying?

In the village of Karchaghbyur in the Gegharkunik region, the sixth cow is being slaughtered. Four were slaughtered yesterday and two today. Twenty more cows are barely being saved. Livestock farmers are faced with an incomprehensible situation as animals are dying unexpectedly, reports Shantnews.am.

Farmers claim that the cows received all vaccinations this past spring. Similar incidents of cow deaths have not been reported in Karchaghbyur before. The animals, as in the past, are grazing in coastal and forested areas and drinking from Lake Sevan, even though grazing in these areas is prohibited by the rules of the 'Sevan' National Park.

This morning, the head of the Food Safety Inspection, Gevorg Avetisyan, announced that these cases are under their control. The announcement specified that the incidents occurred in the nearby forests of the Karchaghbyur village where horsetail grows. Wet horsetail causes bloating in ruminants and, as a consequence, leads to deaths. This was mentioned as a preliminary cause of the animal deaths, but the more exact reasons will be known after diagnoses are made.

While touring along Lake Sevan, we witnessed varying situations in coastal communities. If the preliminary hypothesis regarding the deaths of livestock in Karchaghbyur linked to horsetail, in the mountains of the village of Karmir two cows have died today, while 15 others feel unwell, despite horsetail having dried up long ago. It was noted that last year, when the lake turned green again, five cows died.

People in confusion continue to run after the ailing cows, trying to prevent possible deaths. In Artanish, seven cows also died, again after drinking water from Lake Sevan, while in Tsovinar, the number of fallen cows amounts to nine. In Artsvashen, a local woman mentioned that they have heard of such death cases and are worried. However, for now, their livestock has not fallen ill, they continue to eat and drink water from the same areas as before.

The Hazarat neighborhood of Gavar also reported that cows are dying for reasons that remain unexplained. This area is also quite far from Lake Sevan, and the livestock drink from other sources. Experts have arrived in Gegharkunik. Samples from the meat and the local area have been taken and sent for laboratory research. The research results will reveal the causes of livestock deaths.