Colombia Struggles to Take Care of Pablo Escobar’s ‘Cocaine Hippos’
Colombia is grappling with the ecological fallout from Pablo Escobar’s private zoo hippos, which have multiplied into an invasive population since his death in 1993. The hippos have spread beyond their original ranch along the magdalena River, advancing more than 60 miles in some cases and threatening native species like manatees, otters, and turtles by competing for food and degrading water quality. After attempts to neuter or relocate the animals proved costly and difficult, the government approved a plan on April 13 to cull about 80 of the hippos to curb the population and preserve ecosystems. Environment Minister Irene Vélez stressed that without this action the population would become unmanageable, and CBS News noted the effort could cost nearly $2 million.While the hippos attract tourists,they also terrorize some local communities. Some officials, including Senator Andrea Padilla, argued that killing the hippos would be cruel and that the animals are victims of governmental negligence. The hippos are notable as the only wild population of their species outside Africa, highlighting the long-term ecological challenges posed by Escobar’s legacy.
Pablo Escobar was killed in 1993 after dominating the cocaine trade in the Americas for the previous decade.
But the descendants of the notorious drug lord’s prized hippos live on in Colombia — and the nation’s government is struggling to control them.
Colombian officials agreed on April 13 to a plan that would cull about 80 of the “cocaine hippos,” which have become an invasive species.
Environment Minister Irene Vélez said the government previously tried to neuter the animals or move them to zoos — but the efforts have proven pricey and difficult, according to a report from CBS News.
“If we don’t do this we will not be able to control the population,” she remarked.
“We have to take this action to preserve our ecosystems.”
The New York Post reported that the Colombian government will spend nearly $2 million on the effort.
The expensive ecological encroachment continues because Escobar imported only four hippos to Columbia in the 1980s.
The now-deceased head of the Medellín Cartel owned a private zoo called Hacienda Nápoles in the Magdalena River valley.
The hippos, which are the only members of their species to exist in the wild outside of Africa, took quickly to the environment.
While they draw tourists from around the world, they also terrorize villagers who live in the area.
They meanwhile compete with native manatees for food and make it harder for otters and turtles to survive.
CBS News reported that some hippos have been seen more than 60 miles away from the original ranch.
Audrey Huse, an independent journalist who used to live in Colombia, told the outlet that “because they have no natural predators here, as they would in Africa, the population is booming an it’s affecting the local ecosystem.”
“Because they are such large animals, they consume considerable amounts of grassland and produce significant waste, which then poisons the rivers,” she added.
Some officials in Colombia find the plan to kill part of the hippo population to be needlessly cruel.
Andrea Padilla, a member of the Colombian Senate, said on social media that the hippos are “healthy creatures who are victims of the negligence” of the nation’s government.
“Killings and massacres will never be acceptable,” she said.
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