Tom Okello, conservation area manager at Queen Elizabeth National Park,Uganda, a much-visited safari destination, said 10 of the hulking semi-aquatic animals were found dead over a half-day period.'I knew immediately that we had to get the blood samples tested,' he said, recalling a 2004 outbreak that claimed around 300 hippos around a small lake in the park. 'When anthrax is involved, the blood doesn't clot. That is the reason we have to act very fast,' he said.
Anthrax emanates from spore-forming bacteria in soil along a lakeshore. It can be contracted by wildlife through open wounds; flesh-eating vultures and big cats in the park can also spread the illness. MORE
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