Residents near Virunga National Park in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo were told to avoid hippo carcasses and nearby water after tests found anthrax had killed hippos found in the Semuliki River.
The Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) announced the result in a Sept. 29 notice from its North Kivu directorate. Its specialists analyzed the animals with Virunga Doctors and concluded anthrax caused the deaths. The agency said a response protocol was being put in place.
The notice warned people could contract anthrax by handling a sick or dead animal, or eating its meat. Residents were told not to touch, cut, bury or burn carcasses, to keep children, livestock and pets away, and to avoid water close to them.
In an account published Nov. 2, Al Jazeera said Virunga officials had recorded 28 hippo deaths during a period of about one month. Earlier, on Oct. 2, Virunga external-relations director Méthode Uhoze gave Opinion Info an estimate of around 20 carcasses. The ICCN notice contained no total, and those reports describe counts at different points in time.
Virunga’s February 2026 census put the hippo population above 2,700, spread across 171 groups, and listed 153 calves. The park said anthrax killed 65 hippos in 2025. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that, as of April 18, 2025, patrol posts had reported 52 dead hippos and seven buffaloes.
Al Jazeera said park officials linked earlier anthrax outbreaks to dry spells. Their explanation was that less vegetation can draw grazing animals to remaining feeding and water areas, where they may encounter contaminated soil. Those officials did not identify drought as the cause of the current deaths.
The ICCN said monitoring would continue alongside partner organizations, with additional public instructions possible if needed.
