Ulan Bator, Oct 10 (IANS): Mongolian police have seized at least 288 dead marmots since mid-August, raising concerns about the potential spread of bubonic plague, according to an announcement from the emergency management department of the capital city, Ulan Bator.

The marmots were discovered in vehicles heading to Ulan Bator, said the department's release on Thursday, according to Xinhua news agency.

Although hunting marmots is illegal in Mongolia, many locals regard the rodent as a delicacy and frequently disregard the law.

Most recently, a bag of dead marmots was discovered in a restroom of the "Blue Sky" tower in downtown Ulan Bator, home to over half of Mongolia's 3.5 million residents, causing the incident to go viral on social media.

Seventeen out of all 21 Mongolian provinces are now at risk of bubonic plague, according to the country's National Center for Zoonotic Diseases.

The bubonic plague is a bacterial disease that can be spread by fleas living on wild rodents such as marmots and can kill an adult in less than 24 hours if not treated in time, according to the World Health Organization.