In the eastern part of the Congo’s Virunga National Park, Africa’s oldest national park, Anthrax poisoning has killed at least 50 hippos. A statement by the head of the park stated the hippopotamuses had been found floating in a river south of Lake Edward.
The Virunga National Park is world famous for its outstanding landscapes and wildlife. It is best known for its population of mountain gorillas.
Anthrax is caused by a spore-forming bacterium, Bacillus anthracis, which is reported to survive for decades in soil where animals died of anthrax or that had been buried in the area. It is transmissible to humans and potentially fatal if inhaled.
Officials have recommended precautionary measures be taken including not eating wild prey. The disease can pose a threat to domestic animals also. Other animals in Virunga as well as other nature reserves have also been afflicted with anthrax in the past.
Hippo populations worldwide in the 1970s added up to more than 29,000 animals. Instability in the region has led to increased poaching and a 95% decline in the size of the population.
Hippos are confined mostly to protected areas for the last ten years. The two types of hippos, the common hippo and the pygmy hippo are both listed as “Vulnerable and Endangered.” There are an estimated to be between 115,000 to 130,000 hippos remaining in the wild.
Social media has made most people aware of the African elephant and rhino hunting trade for their valuable tusks and horns. Laws have been tightened, and it is now almost impossible to sell elephant and rhino products. Hippos, however are less publicized, and these pachyderms are also killed for their leather, skulls and teeth, and these are legally bought and sold around the world.
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