{"id":2099512,"date":"2023-11-15T11:45:01","date_gmt":"2023-11-15T16:45:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/government-rushes-to-sterilize-invasive-cocaine-hippos-we-are-in-a-race-against-time\/"},"modified":"2023-11-15T11:49:00","modified_gmt":"2023-11-15T16:49:00","slug":"government-rushes-to-sterilize-invasive-cocaine-hippos-we-are-in-a-race-against-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/government-rushes-to-sterilize-invasive-cocaine-hippos-we-are-in-a-race-against-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Government Rushes to Sterilize Invasive &#8216;Cocaine Hippos&#8217;: &#8216;We Are in a Race Against Time&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgovernment-rushes-to-sterilize-invasive-cocaine-hippos-we-are-in-a-race-against-time%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2099512&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>If you thought one \u201cCocaine Bear\u201d was a \u200cproblem, imagine how much havoc \u2064a couple \u200dhundred \u201ccocaine hippos\u201d might cause.<\/h2>\n<p>Granted, the titular bear in the film \u2014 sometimes affectionately referred to as Pablo Eskobear\u2064 \u2014 \u2063didn\u2019t really \u200dwreak \u200cthe havoc the film showed \u2064him responsible for,\u200b even after ingesting \u2062a stomach-full of cocaine, and the hippos in \u200cquestion haven\u2019t done even a single \u2064line. (So far as we\u2063 know, \u2063anyway.)<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, the hippos have forced a \u2063\u201crace against time in terms of permanent impacts to\u2064 the environment and ecosystem,\u201d Colombia\u2019s environment minister, Susana Muhamad, told \u2062reporters on November 2, according\u2063 to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-023-03516-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nature<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>These particular water horses (so named\u200d because \u201chippopotamus\u201d \u2064comes from the Greek \u2064for \u201criver horse\u201d) \u2062were imported\u2062 \u2014 illegally, of course \u2014 to\u200c Colombia by infamous drug kingpin Pablo Escobar.<\/p>\n<p>The man had \u200dso much disposable \u2064cash that\u2063 he \u2064reportedly\u2063 buried <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/ap-disgraced-drug-agent-admits-conspiring-colombian-cartel-launder-millions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">millions of dollars<\/a> \u200d in the \u2064ground and left it there, so spending it on four illegal two<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/government-rushes-to-sterilize-invasive-cocaine-hippos-we-are-in-a-race-against-time\/\" title=\"Government Rushes to Sterilize Invasive 'Cocaine Hippos': 'We Are in a Race Against Time'\">-ton water-dwelling mammals doesn\u2019<\/a>t seem like such a stretch.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately,\u200c when Escobar died, his four pets \u2014 one \u2063male and three \u2064females \u2014 escaped into \u2063the wild. \u200cAnd flourished.<\/p>\n<p>According\u2064 to Nature, \u2062that\u2019s because their adopted habitat has none of the predators that keep populations from exploding in native <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/musician-akon-says-black-americans-move-africa-become-millionaires-cripple-us-overnight\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Africa<\/a>, and also\u2064 isn\u2019t as subject to the droughts that can impact their living conditions.<\/p>\n<p>From the four animals that escaped in 1993, there are now estimated \u2064to\u2063 be 181 to 215 in Colombia only 30 years later, the outlet reported \u2014 and the next 30 years could see that\u200d number surpass 1,000 if nothing is done.<\/p>\n<p>So\u200d Colombia\u2062 is \u2064doing something \u200d\u2014 three things, \u2062in fact. First, the \u200dnation\u2063 announced a plan to capture and sterilize 20 hippos\u2063 before the end of this year.<\/p>\n<p>Other animals will\u2063 be shipped off to zoos and wildlife\u200d sanctuaries, while some will likely be euthanized.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are questions around how \u2064all this will be carried out, particularly the euthanasia, but it seems that the government \u200dis \u2064generally \u2063going in the right direction,\u201d Jorge Moreno-Bernal, a \u200dbiologist at the \u2064University of the North in Barranquilla, Colombia, told \u2064Nature.<\/p>\n<p>The government \u200cdecided it had to take \u200baction after commissioning\u200c a study on the \u2064environmental impact of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/chinese-tourist-killed-hippo-attack\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hippopotamus<\/a> population\u2064 in Colombia.<\/p>\n<p>The study showed that\u2063 not only were the hippos consuming \u200bresources needed \u2063by nature species \u2014 the beasts can consume over 200 pounds of grass in a single night\u2019s feeding according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oneearth.org\/species-of-the-week-hippopotamus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">One Earth<\/a> \u2014 but they were\u2063 also \u201caltering\u200b the composition of Colombia\u2019s main river with their excrement,\u201d Nature reported.<\/p>\n<p>Sterilizing the hippos \u2063is a costly and time-consuming proposition, and Muhamad told \u2063Nature that exporting them to other countries \u2062would\u200b be preferable.<\/p>\n<p>At least 70 hippos were wanted by people outside the country, which would reduce the current\u2064 population in Colombia by a third\u2064 or more, but exporting that many \u200cwould likely cost \u200babout $3.5\u2063 million,\u200d Nature said.<\/p>\n<p>That expense, however, would be paid by \u200bthose receiving the animals, Muhamad told the outlet. The Colombian government, however, would be footing\u200d the bill\u200c for the euthanasia program as\u200c well as sterilizing the \u2064animals.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDepending on how many we export and how\u200d many we \u2063can sterilize, \u2064we will see how many we will have to cull,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p>At \u200dany rate,\u200d the\u2063 expense will probably be a\u200d necessary investment \u200cin protecting \u2064the biodiversity of Colombia\u2019s ecosystem.<\/p>\n<p>Cocaine hippos, as it turns out, can be \u200deven more troublesome than a cocaine bear \u2064\u2014 or even \u2064 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/cocaine-raccoons-blame-attacks-harshing-liberal-utopia-portlands-vibe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cocaine raccoons<\/a>.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2>A Note from Our Founder:<\/h2>\n<p><em><b>Silicon Valley and the Big Tech tyrants have done everything \u200bthey can to\u2062 put The\u200d Western Journal out of business. Our <\/b><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><em><b>faithful members<\/b><\/em><\/a><em><b>  have\u2062 kept us going.<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><b>If \u2062you\u2019ve never chosen to become a \u2064member,\u2064 let me be honest:\u200c <\/b><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><em><b>We need \u200cyour help today<\/b><\/em><\/a><em><b>.<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><b>Join right now<\/b><\/a><em><b>  \u2013 The Western Journal stands \u2064for truth in this difficult\u2063 time.<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Please stand with us by becoming a member today.<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><b>Floyd G. Brown<\/b><\/em><br \/>\n<em><b>Founder \u200bof\u200b The Western Journal<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/government-rushes-sterilize-invasive-cocaine-hippos-race-time\/\">Government \u2063Rushes to \u200bSterilize Invasive &#8216;Cocaine \u200bHippos&#8217;: \u2064&#8217;We Are \u2062in a Race Against Time&#8217;<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\">The\u200d Western Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What are \u2062the potential environmental consequences of introducing non-native\u2062 species, like hippos, into new habitats?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  The bill for capturing, sterilizing, and euthanizing the remaining hippos.<\/p>\n<p>The situation with the growing hippo population\u2062 in Colombia raises important questions about the environmental impact of introducing non-native species \u2062into new \u2064habitats. The case of \u2062Pablo Escobar&#8217;s hippos serves as a\u2064 stark\u2064 reminder of the potential consequences of illegal wildlife trafficking and the unintended consequences that can arise.<\/p>\n<p>Efforts to \u2063control the hippo population in Colombia are essential\u200b to prevent \u2063further damage \u2063to the environment and\u200d ecosystem. The plan to\u2063 capture,\u2063 sterilize, and relocate\u200c some of\u200b the\u200c hippos\u200b 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 \u200cthe process is carried out in the most humane and compassionate manner possible.<\/p>\n<p>The study on the environmental impact of the hippopotamus population in Colombia highlights the detrimental effects these animals \u200dare having on the local ecosystem. By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/british-olympian-says-trans-athletes-must-compete-in-separate-category\/\" title=\"British Olympian Says Trans Athletes Must Compete in Separate Category\">consuming large quantities<\/a> of vegetation \u2062and altering the composition of rivers with their excrement, hippos are disrupting\u200b the natural balance of the ecosystem \u200band threatening native species.<\/p>\n<p>Finding a sustainable and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sexual-consent-app-idea-draws-criticism-in-australia\/\" title=\"Sexual Consent App Idea Draws Criticism In Australia\">long-term solution<\/a> to the hippo problem in \u200cColombia is complex and costly. The option of exporting a significant number of hippos to \u200bother \u2063countries seems promising, as it would both reduce the population in \u2062Colombia and potentially generate funds\u2062 to \u2062support conservation efforts.\u2062 However, the\u2063 logistical and financial challenges associated with such \u200dan undertaking cannot be ignored.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, it is essential for \u2062the Colombian government, environmental \u2062organizations, \u200dand international partners to \u2063collaborate and find a comprehensive solution\u2064 to address the hippo situation. This should involve \u2064rigorous scientific research, careful \u200dconsideration of ethical implications, and a commitment to preserving the country&#8217;s unique ecosystem.<\/p>\n<p>The case of the &#8220;cocaine hippos&#8221;\u2063 serves as a cautionary \u2064tale, reminding us\u2063 of the potential consequences of human actions on the environment. \u2062It highlights the importance of responsible wildlife management and the need to address the challenges posed by\u2062 invasive species effectively. By \u2064<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/free-beacon-staff-to-editors-arm-the-nathan-robinson-regime-to-prevent-communist-takeover-of-current-affairs\/\" title=\"Free Beacon Staff to Editors: Arm the Nathan Robinson Regime To Prevent Communist Takeover of \u2018Current Affairs\u2019\">taking decisive action<\/a>, Colombia has an opportunity to set a precedent in wildlife conservation and ensure the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oregon-crab-fishermen-say-new-regulations-hoping-to-protect-whales-could-kill-their-industry\/\" title=\"New whale protection rules may harm Oregon's crab fishing industry.\">long-term\u200c sustainability<\/a> of\u2062 its \u200bprecious ecosystems.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If one &#8220;Cocaine Bear&#8221; caused trouble, envision the chaos that a few hundred &#8220;cocaine hippos&#8221; could create. Although the bear in the movie, nicknamed Pablo Eskobear, didn&#8217;t actually cause the depicted havoc after consuming cocaine, the potential consequences of numerous drug-influenced hippos are unimaginable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2010,"featured_media":2099514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2099512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2099512","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2010"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2099512"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2099512\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2099514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2099512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2099512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2099512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}