At least 50 hippos and other large animals have died from an anthrax outbreak in Virunga National Park, the oldest protected reserve in Africa, officials have confirmed.
Photographs released by the park show lifeless animals floating along the Ishasha River in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. According to park authorities, the first carcasses were spotted last week. Tests have since confirmed the presence of anthrax, though the exact source of the contamination remains unclear.
Park Director Emmanuel de Merode said efforts are underway to retrieve and bury the dead hippos and other animals to prevent further spread of the disease. However, the process has been hampered by difficult terrain and a shortage of heavy equipment.
“It’s challenging due to lack of access and logistics,” de Merode told Reuters, adding that burial efforts are being carried out with the use of caustic soda to neutralize the infection.
The Ishasha River flows north into Lake Edward, where additional animal deaths have been reported. Local communities have been urged by the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature to avoid contact with wildlife and to boil water before drinking.
Anthrax, caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, can be fatal but typically does not spread easily. The bacteria often lie dormant in soil for years before infecting animals through inhalation or open wounds.
A Park, Home to Mountain Gorillas and 1000 Hippos
Virunga National Park, which spans 7,800 square kilometers, is one of Africa’s most biodiverse areas and is home to a third of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas as well as over 1,000 hippos. Despite its ecological importance, the park remains one of the most dangerous in the region, with frequent clashes between armed rebel groups and the Congolese army.
In recent decades, conservation efforts have sought to rebuild the park’s hippo population, which plummeted from over 20,000 to just a few hundred due to poaching and years of conflict. Many rangers have lost their lives protecting the park’s wildlife.