Anthax, an epdemic has hit Uganda’s famous national park, Queen Elizabeth National Park. According to the latest from Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), at least 27 hippos have been reported dead of a suspected anthrax outbreak in Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of the most renowned national park for wildlife safaris in Uganda.  The disease is caused by a group of bacteria, the Bacillus anthracis. These bacteria besides being able to multiply several fold to reproduce new individuals in short periods of time, also take on inactive and resistant forms often referred to as spores. In the spore form, the bacteria can survive for decades, waiting for the right conditions and opportunity to return under various conditions such as digging up and exposing previously intact land and soil erosion.

UWA in collaboration with Government and other stakeholders have, in the past outbreaks, combined several control and preventative measures to deal with the disease. Besides the mass vaccinations of livestock in the area, they have immediately buried and sometimes burnt the carcasses, quarantined the affected areas and controlled the slaughter of animals.

Moses Mapes, UWA boss said that access to the peak has been blocked thus depicting global warming. It is caused by gases such as carbon-dioxide from industrial processes, which trap the heat escaping from the earth surface. He urged people to minimise activities that affect the eco-system around the mountain, lest more disasters occur.

John Hunwick, the director of Rwenzori Trekking Services said that the glaciers have been melting rapidly during the last four years thus the country losing a tourism treasure because it is unique to have ice on the equator. According to Guma, UWA has dispatched a team to the mountain to ascertain the extent of damage on the route to Margherita. He also said options of re-routing to the peak would be considered.

He said that it is too early to say when they will be able to accept human presence and plans to establish this in the next few months. Bikingi is the 8th group to be habituated out of the 34 found in Bwindi Forest in 20 years. Lately, Nsongi, another gorilla group in the southern part of Bwindi, was habituated. Bitukura, Mubare, Habinyanja, Nkuringo, Rushegura and Kyaguriro are the other habituated groups.

Mwandha said after Bikingi, no more gorillas will be habituated until 2012. More than half the 760 gorillas in the world are found in Bwindi. Gorilla tracking contributes between 40% and 50% of the tourism revenue.