At least 50 hippopotamuses died from anthrax poisoning in Virunga National Park, the oldest African national park located in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Park officials confirmed that the dead animals began to appear about five days ago along the Ishasha River, where carcasses were spotted floating.
Tests confirmed the presence of anthrax as the cause of the deaths, although the exact source of the poisoning is not yet clear. Work is underway to retrieve and bury the dead animals, with a team on site attempting to remove the hippos from the water, but progress is slow due to the lack of heavy equipment. "The work is extremely challenging because we do not have excavators," said Emmanuel de Merode.
The Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation warned residents of the wider area to avoid wild animals and to boil water before drinking it. There are fears that due to the ongoing civil war and the food insecurity of millions of the country's residents, people may be tempted to eat animals infected with the disease and may become infected themselves. Anthrax is a deadly disease that can be transmitted to animals through inhaling spores or ingesting contaminated plants or water.
Photographs published by Virunga National Park show dead animals floating in the Ishasha River, with some motionless on their sides and backs, and others trapped among foliage on the river's muddy banks. Locals have reported more dead animals, including more than 25 hippopotamus bodies floating in the waters.
This incident is one of the worst environmental disasters the park has witnessed in recent years. The hippopotamus population in the park decreased from over 20,000 to a few hundred by 2006, and current estimates indicate there are about 1,200 hippopotamuses remaining. The park management confirmed that the deaths represent a loss, especially since efforts were ongoing to increase the hippopotamus population after it sharply declined due to poaching and war.
Anthrax is caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, which can be fatal but usually does not spread easily in nature. Bacillus anthracis survives mainly as spores that can remain in the soil for years before entering an animal through inhalation or a cut. Under extreme conditions, an epidemic with very high mortality rates can occur, and anthrax can be deadly to humans.
The Ishasha River forms Congo's border with Uganda and runs through an area under the control of rebel fighters. Thousands of armed soldiers belonging to different rebel groups roam Virunga and surrounding areas, fighting for control over the region's resources. The park has been caught in the middle of militia activity since civil wars fought around the turn of the century, and there have often been conflicts between rebel groups and the Congolese army in recent years.
Virunga National Park covers an area of 7,800 square kilometers and is one of the most biologically diverse but also one of the most dangerous national parks on the African continent. It has more species of birds, reptiles, and mammals than any other protected area in the world. Many rangers have been killed protecting the animals in Virunga National Park.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.