Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News

Video Credit: CEN/Omar Sanchez

Over 3,500 sheep have died of hypothermia after farmers sheared them in blistering 40c heat before temperatures suddenly dropped to just 10c overnight.

The incident took place in the department of Curuzu Cuatia in the southern Argentine province of Corrientes after a “huge change in temperature” over the weekend, according to agriculture official Manuel Garcia Olano.

He added: “It suddenly got much colder and rained a lot, and this caused the sheep to die as they are very sensitive to meteorological changes.”

Garcia Olano explained that between Wednesday and Friday last week, the owners sheared the sheep while the temperature was over 37 degrees Celsius, but over the weekend it dropped to below 10 degrees Celsius.

He added that the situation “was very serious” because it caused “widespread death” despite only affecting three ranches in the area, and that it could take between two and three years for the sheep stock to recover.

Garcia Olano said: “Farmers will now have to take measures to ensure the situation does not get worse as they need to protect the young lambs that were not sheared.

“We will evaluate what the farmers need to replace what they have lost, from financial help to the purchase of balanced foods, and help with the recovery of the sheep stock.”

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