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Message: [QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 31874, member: 636"] Anthrax killed at least fifty hippos plus other big animals in Virunga, the oldest park across Africa. The park boss shared pictures showing dead animals floating down the Ishasha River. These animal bodies started showing up last week. Tests proved anthrax caused these deaths. Nobody knows exactly how the poison spread to all these creatures. Emmanuel de Merode runs the park. He says his team works hard to collect dead animals for burial, which prevents more sickness from spreading. However, they face many problems because they lack machines to dig big holes. "We cannot reach many areas easily," he told news people. We must bury them with special chemicals to stop germs." The river flows toward Lake Edward, one of the biggest lakes in Africa. People report seeing more dead animals near this lake. Anthrax comes from tiny germs called Bacillus anthracis. These germs can kill, but they seldom jump between living things. They hide as tiny seeds in dirt for years until they enter animals through cuts or breathing. The nature group warns local people to avoid wild animals completely and always boil water before drinking it. Virunga covers 7,800 square kilometers and is filled with amazing plants and animals. Yet, danger lurks everywhere in this beautiful place. Tourists love visiting despite the many risks. Armed groups fight the army nearby, making life dangerous for everyone. Thousands of rebels roam Virunga, fighting for control of the valuables found there. Many brave park guards died protecting animals from these dangers. Park helpers have tried increasing hippo numbers during recent years. Long ago, over 20,000 hippos lived here. War and hunting cut this number down to just a few hundred animals. The current crisis threatens these recovery efforts badly. [/QUOTE]

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