Random Strange Cases of Mysterious Mass Animal Deaths (27 items)

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  (#18) 2009 Pelican Deaths

  Hundreds of pelicans died or attempted to kill themselves in 2009, all up and down the west coast. Their strange behavior included wandering down streets and into traffic, crashing into cars and boats, hiding in yards, and beaching themselves. While many of the birds were saved, a number of them died.

  The cause was thought to be a mysterious virus that affected the birds' judgement.
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  (#23) 2005 Turkish Sheep Jump

  A herd of 1,500 sheep in rural Turkey suddenly decided to commit mass suicide, jumping off a nearby cliff for absolutely no reason. The first 400 died, but the rest survived - owing to the fact that they fell onto the bodies of their comrades. The reason for the jumping was never determined.
  
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  (#15) 2004 Ugandan Hippo Poisoning

  In 2004, 300 hippopotamuses in Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park died in what park officials believe was a mass poisoning. The animals drank anthrax-contaminated water from stagnant pools, a frequent problem in dry areas hit by infrequent large rains.

  Another die-off occurred a few days later, with nearly 100 hippos and buffalo died of anthrax poisoning.
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  (#3) Hundreds Of Bats Cooked Alive In Australia After Brutal Heat Wave

  At least 2,000 bats died after literally frying to death in a brutal heat wave. The bats - called flying foxes - were discovered in New South Wales, Australia. Temperatures hit 113 degress Fahrenheit in the region.

  Members of the Wildlife Aid said it was the worst stress-related deaths they had seen in more than 10 years. 
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  (#14) Chilean Penguin Deaths

  The Summer of 2009 was brutal for wildlife on the Chilean coast. Possibly the most unusual spate of deaths was the incident of 1,200 penguins that washed up dead on south Chile beaches over several days.

  The die-off was blamed on everything from over-fishing to climate change
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  (#11) Kazakhstan Antelope Deaths

  Update, January 2018: In January 2018, researchers discovered that excessive heat was likely the cause of the bacterial infection that led to blood poisoning and internal bleeding. Scientists found that mass die offs historically occur in conjunction with warm and usually wet weather. However, the reason climate changes make saiga antelope more susceptible to illness and infection remains a mystery.

  In late May and early June 2015, over 60,000 endangered saigas, a rare species of antelope, died in the Kazakhstan steppe. While animal die-offs are common on the steppe, the scope of this one, combined with the endangered status of the saiga, sent researchers into overdrive. The cause hasn't been determined, though the culprit was likely a combination of bacteria and environmental factors.

  By November, 2015, the total estimated deaths was set at at least 211,000 – 88% of the antelopes in the Betpak-dala desert of Kazakhstan, and about 70% of the total population. The ultimate cause has still not been definitively determined.

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