Sad news from Yahoo! News – Anthrax Kills 120 Hippos in Ugandan National Park:
An anthrax outbreak has killed 120 hippos in Uganda, raising the toll from a disease that has claimed hundreds of wild animals in Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia in recent weeks, a senior official said Tuesday.
No one told the large African mammals not to open suspicious packages. OK, here’s how they really get anthrax:
Anthrax occurs when animals ingest remnants of vegetation in the driest months of September and October, absorbing bacterial spores that can live for decades in dry soil.
Only in Africa:
Ugandan officials have warned residents in the area not to touch hippo carcasses after newspapers reported that two people had died after eating infected hippo flesh.