A mass death occurred in the Virunga National Park of Democratic Republic of Congo which is also called as the oldest national park of this region. Due to the outbreak of anthrax the bacterial disease, around 50 Hippos were found dead in the park. The authorities of the park have stated that these dead hippos were found floating on the Ishasha river running through the rebel-controlled area to Lake Edward. And this outbreak is estimated to spread downstream with high potential which worries the environmentalists majorly.
Though the cause was found as anthrax via the lab testing, the source of this bacterial outbreak hasn’t been found. Such infections have the potential to spread quickly among the large herbivores like hippos and buffalo & the current scenario in the park is reported to have reached the buffaloes as well. This UNESCO World Heritage site known for its rich biodiversity with the population of 20,000 had dropped to hundred by the year 2006. This is due to continuous poaching and civil unrest but the recent stats underscores that their population is recovering from all of these.
To contain this outbreak the authorities launched emergency actions such as the efforts to remove and bury the carcasses safely. Meanwhile, the local communities detach from contact with the wild animals and boil the water as a precautionary measure.
