Government Rushes to Sterilize Invasive ‘Cocaine Hippos’: ‘We Are in a Race Against Time’
If you thought one “Cocaine Bear” was a problem, imagine how much havoc a couple hundred “cocaine hippos” might cause.
Granted, the titular bear in the film — sometimes affectionately referred to as Pablo Eskobear — didn’t really wreak the havoc the film showed him responsible for, even after ingesting a stomach-full of cocaine, and the hippos in question haven’t done even a single line. (So far as we know, anyway.)
Nevertheless, the hippos have forced a “race against time in terms of permanent impacts to the environment and ecosystem,” Colombia’s environment minister, Susana Muhamad, told reporters on November 2, according to Nature.
These particular water horses (so named because “hippopotamus” comes from the Greek for “river horse”) were imported — illegally, of course — to Colombia by infamous drug kingpin Pablo Escobar.
The man had so much disposable cash that he reportedly buried millions of dollars in the ground and left it there, so spending it on four illegal two-ton water-dwelling mammals doesn’t seem like such a stretch.
Unfortunately, when Escobar died, his four pets — one male and three females — escaped into the wild. And flourished.
According to Nature, that’s because their adopted habitat has none of the predators that keep populations from exploding in native Africa, and also isn’t as subject to the droughts that can impact their living conditions.
From the four animals that escaped in 1993, there are now estimated to be 181 to 215 in Colombia only 30 years later, the outlet reported — and the next 30 years could see that number surpass 1,000 if nothing is done.
So Colombia is doing something — three things, in fact. First, the nation announced a plan to capture and sterilize 20 hippos before the end of this year.
Other animals will be shipped off to zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, while some will likely be euthanized.
“There are questions around how all this will be carried out, particularly the euthanasia, but it seems that the government is generally going in the right direction,” Jorge Moreno-Bernal, a biologist at the University of the North in Barranquilla, Colombia, told Nature.
The government decided it had to take action after commissioning a study on the environmental impact of the hippopotamus population in Colombia.
The study showed that not only were the hippos consuming resources needed by nature species — the beasts can consume over 200 pounds of grass in a single night’s feeding according to One Earth — but they were also “altering the composition of Colombia’s main river with their excrement,” Nature reported.
Sterilizing the hippos is a costly and time-consuming proposition, and Muhamad told Nature that exporting them to other countries would be preferable.
At least 70 hippos were wanted by people outside the country, which would reduce the current population in Colombia by a third or more, but exporting that many would likely cost about $3.5 million, Nature said.
That expense, however, would be paid by those receiving the animals, Muhamad told the outlet. The Colombian government, however, would be footing the bill for the euthanasia program as well as sterilizing the animals.
“Depending on how many we export and how many we can sterilize, we will see how many we will have to cull,” she added.
At any rate, the expense will probably be a necessary investment in protecting the biodiversity of Colombia’s ecosystem.
Cocaine hippos, as it turns out, can be even more troublesome than a cocaine bear — or even cocaine raccoons.
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The post Government Rushes to Sterilize Invasive ‘Cocaine Hippos’: ’We Are in a Race Against Time’ appeared first on The Western Journal.
What are the potential environmental consequences of introducing non-native species, like hippos, into new habitats?
The bill for capturing, sterilizing, and euthanizing the remaining hippos.
The situation with the growing hippo population in Colombia raises important questions about the environmental impact of introducing non-native species into new habitats. The case of Pablo Escobar’s hippos serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of illegal wildlife trafficking and the unintended consequences that can arise.
Efforts to control the hippo population in Colombia are essential to prevent further damage to the environment and ecosystem. The plan to capture, sterilize, and relocate some of the hippos to zoos and wildlife sanctuaries is a step in the right direction. However, the issue of euthanasia raises ethical concerns and should be approached with caution. It is crucial to ensure that the process is carried out in the most humane and compassionate manner possible.
The study on the environmental impact of the hippopotamus population in Colombia highlights the detrimental effects these animals are having on the local ecosystem. By consuming large quantities of vegetation and altering the composition of rivers with their excrement, hippos are disrupting the natural balance of the ecosystem and threatening native species.
Finding a sustainable and long-term solution to the hippo problem in Colombia is complex and costly. The option of exporting a significant number of hippos to other countries seems promising, as it would both reduce the population in Colombia and potentially generate funds to support conservation efforts. However, the logistical and financial challenges associated with such an undertaking cannot be ignored.
Ultimately, it is essential for the Colombian government, environmental organizations, and international partners to collaborate and find a comprehensive solution to address the hippo situation. This should involve rigorous scientific research, careful consideration of ethical implications, and a commitment to preserving the country’s unique ecosystem.
The case of the “cocaine hippos” serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us of the potential consequences of human actions on the environment. It highlights the importance of responsible wildlife management and the need to address the challenges posed by invasive species effectively. By taking decisive action, Colombia has an opportunity to set a precedent in wildlife conservation and ensure the long-term sustainability of its precious ecosystems.
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