Over the last one week Kenya Wildlife Service has experienced sporadic mortalities of buffaloes in Lake Nakuru National Park. The buffaloes have been observed with signs of weakness, lack of feeding followed by sudden deaths.
Through our investigations carried out at Veterinary laboratories the cause of the deaths has been confirmed to be anthrax. A team of KWS veterinary doctors and wildlife experts are on the ground taking necessary steps to ensure the disease is brought under control.
Various recommended safety and hygiene measures have been put in place to prevent further mortalities and stop any spread to other critical wildlife population and other areas. The condition is effectively under control and KWS surveillance teams are still on the ground. The source of infection is suspected to have originated from outside the park following earlier instances of the disease in livestock in Nakuru County.
KWS management therefore takes this opportunity to assure the general public that we are taking the necessary measures to wipe out the disease from the park. Today the mortalities have drastically reduced and we expect the disease to be over the soonest possible.
Meanwhile we want to reassure our staff in the park and visitors that there is no cause for alarm as necessary precautionary measures have been put in place to guard against the disease infecting them. Carcasses of dead animals from the disease have been disposed off as per stipulated public health regulations.
