Under the unrelenting sun, Zambia suffered a crippling drought. The once lush landscapes withered and the mighty hippos, desperate for sustenance, resorted to digging into the parched earth. Unbeknownst to them, they had unearthed a deadly bacteria—anthrax spores, lurking beneath the surface. The helpless creatures began to succumb to the virulent disease, their bodies littering the banks of the mighty Zambezi River.

As hunger gnawed at the bellies of the impoverished locals, the sight of seemingly free meat proved irresistible. The locals butchered the carcasses and soon more than 500 human anthrax cases were reported in the area.  As the outbreak grew and the  death toll rose, the health department scrambled to warn the people, disseminating notices and offering education on the lethal consequences of consuming the diseased hippos.  Yet, the pleas fell on deaf ears. The lure of tender meat and the hunger that gripped them  pushed them to continue their macabre feasts, heedless of the warnings. It was decided to cull 2000 hippos so began the big trophy hunt for hippos.