Dozens of hippos, elephants and buffalo found dead and now officials have a blunt warning, do not eat the meat.

Authorities in Zambia have issued a stark warning to stop eating wildlife meat after a fresh anthrax outbreak wiped out scores of animals. According to cbinews.tv, the outbreak has hit the Munyamadzi Game Management Area in Muchinga province hard.

Since July, officials say 46 hippos, eight elephants, five buffalo and one crocodile have died. The disaster agency says 12 people have been infected after eating carcasses found along the Munyamadzi River. No human deaths have been reported so far and those infected are receiving treatment.

The human angle is tough. National coordinator Norman Chipakupaku said the sad reality is that locals depend on this meat for food. When animals die in the bush, carcasses become a food source.

It is caused by bacteria called Bacillus anthracis. The bug survives as spores in soil for years and can enter an animal through breathing it in or via a cut. It mainly hits grazing animals and can cause sudden death. People can catch it through contact with contaminated meat or animal products.

Anthrax is endemic in Zambia, but human fatalities are rare. The country saw what officials called an unprecedented outbreak in 2023 that killed four people and spread to nine out of ten provinces. Back in 2011, more than 500 cases were recorded after five people died eating infected hippo meat.

This is about food security as much as wildlife conservation. For remote communities, bushmeat can be survival food, not a choice. Losing hippos and elephants to disease also hits Zambia’s tourism economy and fragile ecosystems.

Officials say surveillance and lab tests are ongoing and the full extent of the outbreak is not yet known. Hunting in the affected area has been suspended. The public has been told not to eat, sell, handle or share meat from animals that die suddenly and to report any cases immediately.

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