Siberian ulcer kills dozens of hippos in Virung National Park

At least 50 hippos and other large animals were killed by the Siberian poisoning in the oldest national park in Africa, its director said.

Photos sharing Virung National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo show stationary animals that float on the river Ishash. The park’s representatives say they started appearing for the first time last week.

The exact cause of the poisoning is unknown, but the tests confirmed the presence of anthrax.

Park Director Emanuel de Merode said he was working on the restoration of animals and bury them to prevent further distribution, but it was difficult because there were no excavators.

“It is difficult because of the lack of access and logistics,” he said Reuters.

“We have the means to restrict the distribution by burying them with the caustic baking soda.”

The river runs north of Lake Edward, one of the large lakes of Africa, where more dead animals were reported.

Siberian ulcer is caused by Bacillus Anthracis and may be deadly, but it usually does not spread easily.

It is largely survived as disputes hiding in the soil for years before entering the animal through inhalation, cut or wound.

The Congolese Institute for Conservation of Nature warned the inhabitants to avoid wildlife and boiling water from local sources before drinking.

Break 7,800 km (3000 sq.m), Virunga – one of the most biologically diverse, but also the most dangerous national parks on the continent.

The park is a popular tourist destination, but in recent years has also suffered a conflict between the rebels and the Congolese army.

Thousands of armed soldiers belonging to various insurgent groups wander about Virung and its adjacent areas, fighting the control of the rich resources of the region.

Many rains were killed by protecting wildlife there.

In recent decades, efforts have been increased in the park after the population fell from more than 20,000 to just a few hundred as a result of poaching and war.