By A Correspondent| 19 hippos have tragically died in Zimbabwe’s Mid Zambezi Region, with preliminary investigations revealing that severe malnutrition was the primary cause. The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) confirmed in a press statement that no signs of anthrax or other infectious diseases were found in samples tested during the investigation.

Approximately 50% of the hippo population in the region was observed to be in poor physical condition, characterized by prominently visible pelvic bones and spines—classic indicators of nutritional deficiencies.

ZimParks noted that some hippos had been traveling up to 10 kilometers from their natural habitat in desperate search of food, further underlining the severity of the food shortage.

“The recent rainfall in the region brings hope for the recovery of the hippo population,” said Tinashe Farawo, ZimParks spokesperson. “However, the findings strongly suggest that most of the deaths were caused by severe nutritional deficits rather than infectious diseases.”