Two calves have died due an electrical fault that left parts of a Deeside community without power.
They were electrocuted in fields between Braemar Castle and the village.
A spokesman for Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSE) said the safety of the local community and its staff is its “number one priority”.
He said: “The transformers on our network are fitted with systems that divert the electrical current to earth on the rare occasions the equipment develops a fault, protecting anyone in the vicinity from receiving an electrical shock.
“However, while this makes the situation safe for humans, as animals have more points of contact with the ground, this also makes them more susceptible to electrical shock in these situations.
“Sadly, on June 25, as part of our investigations into the power cut which affected the Ballater area that day, our engineers discovered two calves that had died from the electrical current which had been diverted away from the faulty transformer.
“In line with industry regulations, full details of this incident have been passed to the Health and Safety Executive.”
Local councillor Geva Blackett said: “I was very concerned to hear about this incident from several different perspectives – primarily animal welfare and of course human safety – and of course for the farmer who lost two of his stock.
“I am however content that SSE have followed correct procedure and the matter is now in the hands of the HSE to determine whether further action is required.”
