Anthrax poisoning fells 50 hippos at national park in Democratic Republic of the Congo

A group of at least 50 hippos at Virunga National Park in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo were found dead from anthrax poisoning recently.

The carcasses of the hippos as well as African buffalo started to appear in the Ishasha River on April 3, according to Reuters. Testing confirmed that the animals died of anthrax, and park officials are going to try to retrieve and bury the carcasses to prevent further spread of the disease.

There have also been some dead hippos found floating in the waters of Lake Edward, which is fed by the river.

“It’s difficult due to lack of access and logistics. We have the means to limit the spread (of the disease) by … burying them with caustic soda,” Emmanuel De Merode, director of Virunga National Park, told Reuters Tuesday.

The bacteria that causes the disease can remain alive for decades in soil where animals or people that died of anthrax are buried according to French wire agency Agence France-Presse. The disease is potentially fatal to humans when spores are inhaled.

Officials have not determined how the animals became infected. The Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation that governs Virunga National Park has warned locals to boil water, to avoid wildlife and to avoid eating bushmeat.

At one point, there were over 20,000 hippos in Virunga National Park, which is also known for its gorilla population.