Lightning is the likely cause in the mysterious weekend deaths of 16 horses near Calhan.
El Paso County Sheriff’s Office investigators said today that Dr. John Heikkila “is fairly confident” lightning to be the probable cause in the deaths of the horses found on Saturday in a pasture near South Calhan Road in Eastern El Paso County.
Dr. Heikkila was also the veterinarian who investigated the scene where six horses and one burro were found dead in a nearby pasture on Oct. 12. The cause of death in that case remains undetermined.
Authorities said tissue samples from both cases were taken to the Colorado State University for toxicology testing. Initial reports from the Oct. 12 incident did not reveal the presence of any common poisons or dangerous food sources, according to sheriff’s investigators.
Initial tests ruled out anthrax as a cause in the Oct. 22 deaths.
