Antrax kills dozens of hippos in Virung National Park

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

The photos shared by the Virung National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo show the fixed animals floating along the Isaha River. Park employees say they started appearing last week for the first time.

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

The director of the park Emanuel de Merode said that work was underway to restore animals and funeral to prevent more distribution, but it was difficult because there were no excavators.

“It’s difficult due to lack of access and logistics,” he told the Reuters Agency.

“We have the means to limit the distribution through … their funeral with caustic soda.”

The river moves north to Edward Lake, one of the Great Lakes in Africa, where more dead animals were reported locally.

The anthrax is caused by Bacillus anthracis and can be deadly, but usually does not spread easily.

It largely survives as spores that have been hidden in the soil for years before entering an animal by inhalation or cutting or wound.

The Congoan Institute for Nature Protection has warned residents to avoid wildlife and boil water from local sources before drinking.

Stretching 7,800 square km (3000 square miles), Virunga is one of the most diverse biological, but also the most dangerous national parks on the continent.

The park is a popular tourist destination, but has also been affected by the conflict between the rebels and the Congoan army in recent years.

Thousands of armed soldiers belonging to various rebel groups tour Virunga and its surrounding areas, struggling to control the rich resources in the region.

Many rangers have died that protect the wild there.

In recent decades, there has been an effort to increase the number of hippos in the park after the population has decreased from over 20,000 to only several hundred as a result of poaching and war.