Hippos near lake, Virunga Park in Congo. Image: Getty
At least 50 hippos and other large animals have died from anthrax poisoning in eastern Congo’s Virunga National Park, with dead animals spotted floating along the Ishasha River, park officials confirmed on Tuesday.
WATCH: Special encounter between a white rhino with calf and two lions with fresh kill
Tests have confirmed anthrax as the cause of death, according to Virunga Park director Emmanuel De Merode, who noted that buffalo have also been killed.
De Merode reported that a team is working at the site to remove the hippo corpses from the water and bury them, but the operation faces significant challenges due to the lack of excavation equipment.
“It’s difficult due to lack of access and logistics,” De Merode told Reuters.
“We have the means to limit the spread (of the disease) by…burying them with caustic soda.”
Park guards first noticed the problem last week, when dead animals began appearing along the river, which forms Congo’s border with Uganda and runs through an area controlled by rebel fighters.
The river flows north into Lake Edward, where more animal corpses have been reported.
“There are more than 25 hippopotamus bodies floating in the waters of the lake, from Kagezi to Nyakakoma,” Thomas Kambale, a civil society leader in Nyakakoma, told Reuters.
The deaths represent a significant loss for the park, which has been working to rebuild its hippo population, reports BBC.
Poaching and war had previously reduced hippo numbers from over 20,000 to just a few hundred by 2006. The park now holds approximately 1,200 hippos.
Anthrax is a serious disease typically caused by bacteria found naturally in soil. Wild animals can become infected by inhaling anthrax spores from contaminated soil, plants, or water.
The Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation has warned local residents to avoid wildlife in the affected area and to boil water from local sources before drinking.
Virunga National Park, Africa’s oldest national park, spans 7,800 square kilometres and is known for its remarkable biodiversity, with more species of mammals, birds and reptiles than any other protected area in the world.
It has also been caught in the middle of militia activity for decades, with thousands of armed rebels competing for control of the region’s resources.
WATCH: Chaos erupts as two men fight over reclined seat on passenger flight
Follow us on social media for more travel news, inspiration, and guides. You can also tag us to be featured.
TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
