Kentucky Meat Shower (1876): When literally meat fell from the sky

Kentucky Meat Shower

Humanity has long been attracted by strange rain, and over time, a lot has been written about it. For instance, in June 2009, tadpoles, frogs, and fish began to fall from the sky, waking up residents of Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture. Although it is unknown how the amphibians and marine creatures got into the air, it makes sense to assume that a waterspout lifted them into the atmosphere before being dropped back to the earth. In fact, Wikipedia has a separate page dedicated for Rain of animals.

Of course, animals that unexpectedly fall on the ground are not limited to those found in water. On February 7, 2022, thousands of yellow-headed blackbirds swarmed over Chihuahua, Mexico, slamming into the pavement and killing dozens of birds. The frightening event was captured on security camera footage. The Farmers’ Almanac claims that jelly and spiders have also been seen to fall from the sky.

However, nothing matches  the Kentucky meat shower that struck on a fine March day in 1876.

The Kentucky meat shower is still one of the most peculiar local meteorological occurrences. The entire incident was observed by a housewife who lives on a farm close to Olympia Springs, and she described it as a big event. She claimed that the amount of flesh that fell from the sky could “load a horse carriage” (via Science Solved It).

What was the meat that fell during the Kentucky Meat Shower?

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Meat samples claimed t o be from the Kentucky Meat Shower

Kurt Gohde of the Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, looked into publications about the peculiar weather-related incident because he was fascinated with explaining the Kentucky Meat Shower. He discovered a treasure while looking through old photographs in a school archive: an old jar with a sample of flesh floating in a yellowish liquid. He was able to verify the flesh originated from the disputed 19th-century meat shower based on the age of the container and his prior study.

This revelation was intriguing since Kentuckians have never resolved the question of what kind of meat fell from the sky on that particular day. Historical records demonstrate that this part of the weather event was the subject of substantial dispute.

Others believed it might be mutton, while some said it was bear flesh. The bravest of the Kentuckians tried some of the meat, but it was still mystery meat. It seems that even descending from the sky wasn’t enough to stop folks from eating it. Wow!

Here comes an awful explanation for the Kentucky Meat Shower

No one has ever satisfactorily explained the event or its causes, despite the audacious taste test and subsequent distribution of samples (like the one Gohde found). People soon lost interest, and the focus of the public shifted to other events. But Joe Walston of the Wildlife Conservation Society has now provided an explanation, and it is a pretty awful one: Decayed meat pieces vomited by Vultures

As Walston argues, vultures must take off fast when frightened. This proves particularly challenging when they’ve just had their load of animal carcasses. They vomit in order to lessen the weight of the meat. They frequently carry out this action while flying, causing decaying flesh to fall to the ground.

And this theory seems to be the most believable one.

Moral : Think Twice Before Eating Any Kind Of Meat Fallen From The Sky

Found this article interesting? You might also want to check out Miracle Mike:  The chicken that lived for 18 months without a head

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