© Josh SalmonThis photo of bison at Stuhr Museum in Grand Island was taken in December of 2022. The museum is home now to just one animal after two of the bison were killed by a lightning strike late last month.
Stuhr believes the animals fell victim to a lightning storm that passed through July 30 or 31.
"The lightning actually knocked out our server in the Stuhr Building, so there must have been multiple strikes,' said Chris Hochstetler, the museum's executive director.
A couple of days later, staff members discovered that one of the bison had died. The day after that, the other one passed away.
A veterinarian who treated the animal said a bison struck directly by lightning usually dies instantly. It's also very common that if another bison is within 30 feet, he will die a couple of days later.
A nearby strike scrambles the animal's neurological system and heart. "They will succumb to that within two or three days, which is exactly what happened," Hochstetler said.
Staff members didn't realize the first animal had died for a couple of days. With bison, it's "hard to determine at any given time if they're sleeping or just laying there," he said.
Bison often stay close together, he said.
No one witnessed the lightning strike.
The museum is now left with just one bison. The animals graze on the west side of the property, between Highway 281 and the administration building — not far from the earth lodge.
The bison do not belong to the museum. A Nebraska family allows them to graze on Stuhr Museum property.
That family is "actively searching for some more bison for us now," Hochstetler said.
Bison are very social creatures, so the remaining animal is going to need some friends, he said.
Hochstetler had no idea how often lightning kills livestock.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 100,000 cows are killed every year in the U.S. by lightning.
Hochstetler also found online that Nebraska has 773,000 lighting strikes annually.
Stories abound about Nebraska cattle being killed by lightning, he said. And bison are a similar size.
The museum wrote about the bison deaths on social media. "And the community is very concerned," Hochstetler said.
In that posting, the museum wrote, "This loss is deeply felt by our staff and community, and serves as a somber reminder of the power of Mother Nature. We appreciate your support and understanding during this time."
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