A 50-strong herd of hippopotamuses has been found dead in a river in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The cause of death was quickly established as anthrax, caused by spore bacteria that survived in soil where animals that died of anthrax were buried.
The bacteria can spread to humans and can be deadly if inhaled, warns the Congolese authority responsible for national parks.
"Although the disease primarily affects wild animals, there is a potential risk of transmission to humans and domesticated animals," the authority writes in a statement.
