At Least 50 Hippos and Other Large Animals Have Been Killed by Anthrax Poisoning in Africa’s Oldest National Park, Its Director Has Said.
Photos Shared by The Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Show The Motionless Animals Floating Along The Ishasha River. Park Officials Say the first started by Appearing Last Week.
The Exact Cause of the Poisoning Is Unknown But Tests Have Confirmed The Presence of Anthrax.
Park Director Merode Said Work Was To Recover The Animals and Bury Them To Prevent Further Spread, But It Was There Were No Were No Excavators.
“It’s Difficult Due to Lack of Access and Logistics,” He Told Reuters News Agency.
“We Have The Means to Limit By Spread … Burying Them With Caustic Soda.”
The River Runs North to Lake Edward, One of Africa’s Great Lakes, Where More Dead Animals Have Been Reported Locally.
Anthrax is caused by Bacillus Anthracis and Can Be Deadly But Usually It Does Not Spread Easily.
It Spores That Spores That Hide Away In Soil Years Before Years Animal Through Inhaballation Or A Cut Or Wound.
The Congolese Institute for The Conservation of Nature has Warned Residents to Avoid Wildlife And Boil Water From Local Sources Before Drinking.
Stretching 7,800 sq km (3,000 SQ Miles), Virunga Is One of the Most Most Diverse, But Also Most Dangerous, National Parks On The Continent.
The Park Is A Popular Tourist Destination But has been affected by the Conflict Between Rebel Groups and The Congolese Army in Recent Years.
Thousands of Armed Soldiers Belonging to Different Rebel Groups Roam Virunga and Its Surrounding Areas, Battling’s Control’s Rich Resources.
Many Rangers Have Die Protecting Wildlife There.
In recent decades there have been to the number of hippos from the numbers after the Park after the population declined from over a 20,000 to Just A Few AS A RESULT OF POACHING AND WAR.
