In Queensland tens of thousands of cattle die of thirst and hunger encircled by fresh water and grass

"Stranded upon sodden islands that dot the submerged plains of outback north-west Queensland, encircled by fresh water and with grass growing before their eyes, tens of thousands of cattle are dying of thirst and hunger. It sounds completely absurd, grazier Angus Propsting says. But they are actually perishing because they are not drinking, even though they are surrounded by water. Some of the famished cattle look upon grass tens of metres from where they perch."

"But if there is a body of water between them, they will starve themselves before they will walk back through any water, the 31-year-old cattleman says. They are not leaving their little islands, they are just starving themselves to death. It is like they have given up or they are too fearful to leave. The water is not too deep for the cattle to wade through on these rolling downs and timbered, sandy hills at the headwaters of Queensland's longest river, the Flinders."

"No one knows why, he says. They are a bit shell-shocked, I suppose. Fearful of the mud and water. This is not the first time the phenomenon has been observed. It happened in 2019, Propsting says — the exact same thing. Then half a million head of cattle and sheep drowned, starved and died of cold and illness in flooding that inundated 11.4m hectares of grazing country in the state's north-west."

Flooded plains in outback north‑west Queensland have left tens of thousands of cattle stranded on small islands surrounded by fresh water and reachable grass. Many animals refuse to drink or cross any body of water, despite shallow, crocodile-free conditions, and are dying of thirst, hunger, cold and illness. Some graziers report cattle appear shell‑shocked or too fearful to move. The phenomenon recurred after severe 2019 floods that killed and drowned about half a million livestock across 11.4m hectares. Graziers are now attempting to coax dispirited cattle to feed and troughs using buggies and dirt bikes, assessing losses and planning recovery.

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