Anthrax has been connected to the death of dozens of hippopotamuses at Virunga National Park in Africa’s Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to a new report.
Virunga National Park director Emmanuel De Merode told Reuters in a report published on Tuesday, April 8, that at least 50 hippos and other large animals, including buffalo, have been killed as a result of anthrax.
According to the outlet, the deceased hippos have been spotted floating on their sides and backs in the Ishasha River or caught among foliage on the river’s banks.
De Merode told Reuters that while tests confirmed anthrax poisoning, the exact cause of the poisoning is not clear.
DeAgostini/Getty
Image of hippos at Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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He also shared that a team was trying to get the hippos out of the water to bury, but were facing difficulty due to not having excavators.
“It’s difficult due to lack of access and logistics. We have the means to limit the spread (of the disease) by… burying them with caustic soda,” said De Merode.
PEOPLE reached out to Virunga National Park for comment.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes anthrax as a disease caused by bacteria found in soil. While it usually affects livestock and wild animals, the agency notes that people typically get sick with anthrax if they come in contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products.
Before the anthrax infection, Virunga National Park had already seen a significant decline in its population.
Virunga National Park/Handout via REUTERS
A dead hippo lies in the water due to anthrax killing the animals in Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo in this undated handout picture released April 8, 2025
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According to its website, in the 1970s, the park had 29,000 hippos in and around Lake Edward. Since then, however, “instability in the region” has led to increased poaching and a 95% decline in the population.
The national park notes that hippos are poached “for their meat by armed groups and those in absolute poverty and for the ivory found in their teeth.”
Agence France-Presse reported that the local office of the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) in the North Kivu province recommended that residents take precautionary measures.
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“Although this disease mainly affects wildlife, it poses a potential risk of transmission to humans as well as domestic animals,” they said, per Agence France-Presse.
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