Anthrax kills hippos
A disease suspected to be anthrax has killed about 200 hippos in Queen Elizabeth National Park in the last three months
By Gerald Tenywa
A disease suspected to be anthrax has killed about 200 hippos in Queen Elizabeth National Park in the last three months.
The executive director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Dr. Arthur Mugisha, confirmed reports that anthrax was killing wild animals, including hippos, in southern Africa.
However, he said another team of veterinary doctors would be commissioned to further investigate the deaths of the Ugandan hippos.
Mugisha said earlier reports had said rinderpest, an infection caused by a virus, caused the deaths, but the commissioner in charge of livestock in the agriculture ministry, Nicholas Kauta, disputed the report.
Rinderpest affects cattle and buffaloes, not hippos.
“We think this is a national disaster,’’ Mugisha told the press in Kampala last week.
He said a task force would be formed to handle the situation.
He said the carcasses had to be buried to avoid contaminating water bodies.
Four people reportedly died recently after eating the hippo carcasses. But UWA downplayed the matter, saying there was no connection between the deaths of the people and the meat.
Mugisha said a meeting would be convened between the UWA team and the tourism ministry permanent secretary to discuss the matter.
Sources from Makerere University accused UWA of not contacting conservation bodies with experts who could conclusively determine the cause of the deaths.
A disease suspected to be anthrax has killed about 200 hippos in Queen Elizabeth National Park in the last three months.
The executive director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Dr. Arthur Mugisha, confirmed reports that anthrax was killing wild animals, including hippos, in southern Africa.
However, he said another team of veterinary doctors would be commissioned to further investigate the deaths of the Ugandan hippos.
Mugisha said earlier reports had said rinderpest, an infection caused by a virus, caused the deaths, but the commissioner in charge of livestock in the agriculture ministry, Nicholas Kauta, disputed the report.
Rinderpest affects cattle and buffaloes, not hippos.
“We think this is a national disaster,’’ Mugisha told the press in Kampala last week.
He said a task force would be formed to handle the situation.
He said the carcasses had to be buried to avoid contaminating water bodies.
Four people reportedly died recently after eating the hippo carcasses. But UWA downplayed the matter, saying there was no connection between the deaths of the people and the meat.
Mugisha said a meeting would be convened between the UWA team and the tourism ministry permanent secretary to discuss the matter.
Sources from Makerere University accused UWA of not contacting conservation bodies with experts who could conclusively determine the cause of the deaths.