{"id":2591048,"date":"2026-04-15T10:41:59","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T14:41:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/colombia-to-euthanize-invasive-hippos-roaming-the-country-animals-were-originally-imported-by-pablo-escobar\/"},"modified":"2026-04-15T10:48:56","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T14:48:56","slug":"colombia-to-euthanize-invasive-hippos-roaming-the-country-animals-were-originally-imported-by-pablo-escobar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/colombia-to-euthanize-invasive-hippos-roaming-the-country-animals-were-originally-imported-by-pablo-escobar\/","title":{"rendered":"Colombia to Euthanize &#8216;Invasive&#8217; Hippos Roaming the Country \u2013 Animals Were Originally Imported by Pablo Escobar"},"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\">32<\/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%2Fcolombia-to-euthanize-invasive-hippos-roaming-the-country-animals-were-originally-imported-by-pablo-escobar%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=2591048&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--><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cbs-smears-ron-desantis-while-pete-buttigieg-gets-the-obama-treatment-from-ap\/\" title=\"CBS Smears Ron DeSantis While Pete Buttigieg Gets the Obama Treatment from AP\">piece begins<\/a> by noting that hippos,despite their cuddly appearance,are among the world\u2019s most hazardous animals and can be deadly to humans,a point also highlighted by BBC Wildlife that they kill hundreds annually in Africa. It then shifts to Colombia, where officials have decided to cull dozens of cocaine hippos-the invasive descendants of four hippos brought by Pablo Escobar-because their population threatens ecosystems and agriculture. After failed and costly attempts at control, such as neutering, the government approved a culling plan with an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/here-are-all-the-green-new-deal-handouts-democrats-wedged-into-their-3-5-trillion-budget\/\" title=\"Here Are All The Green New Deal Handouts Democrats Wedged Into Their .5 Trillion Budget\">estimated price<\/a> around $1.98 million, as relocating the animals is deemed unfeasible due to limited genetic diversity and potential disease risks.The hippo population is now estimated at roughly 170-200 individuals,with some individuals traveling as far as 60 miles from their original habitat,and they have attracted both tourists and concern among conservationists. the article cites coverage from CBS News and the New York Post,which report authorities warn of ecological threats and risks to villages and other wildlife. Known colloquially as \u201ccocaine hippos,\u201d the animals have become a focal point in Colombia\u2019s broader debate over how best to manage human-wildlife conflicts and invasive species.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>When it comes to the most dangerous animals in the world, certain creations of God will inevitably be brought up.<\/p>\n<p>From snakes to sharks to lions, if it&rsquo;s got sharp teeth, deadly venom, long talons, or a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/analyst-suggests-44-year-old-murder-mystery-solved-american-classic-jaws\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">legendary horror film<\/a> about it, they&rsquo;ll probably get listed.<\/p>\n<p>One animal that deserves to be up there but is often not mentioned? Cute and cuddly hippopotamuses.<\/p>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/deadliest-animals-to-humans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BBC Wildlife<\/a> points out, hippos kill 500 people a year in Africa &mdash; making them far more deadly than some of the more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/santos-expected-to-plead-guilty-to-multiple-counts-in-his-fraud-case-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Santos expected to plead guilty to multiple counts in his fraud case - Washington Examiner\">expected &#038;ldquo<\/a>;dangerous animals&rdquo; to grace that list.<\/p>\n<p>And that&rsquo;s when hippos aren&rsquo;t already hopped up on nose candy.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!container) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=\"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\"; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot \t\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadAnyclip(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #anyclipvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#anyclipvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>No, this isn&rsquo;t some sequel pitch for the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >2023 cult classic film &#038;ldquo<\/a>;Cocaine Bear,&rdquo; but rather a very real problem that the country of Colombia is currently dealing with, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/04\/13\/world-news\/colombia-to-cull-dozens-of-cocaine-hippos-linked-to-pablo-escobar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New York Post<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, Colombian officials effectively threw their hands up when it came to the country&rsquo;s hippo problem, and authorized a plan to cull dozens of them.<\/p>\n<p>After multiple, expensive attempts to quell the invasive hippopotamuses encroaching on the South American country&rsquo;s ecosystem &mdash; such as a project to mass neuter them &mdash; Colombians have now opted for the simplest method of crowd control.<\/p>\n<p>Notably, these hippos have become something of a tourist attraction. They&rsquo;re <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-democratic-senator-begins-11-year-federal-prison-sentence\/\" title=\"Former Democratic Senator Begins 11-Year Federal Prison Sentence\">derisively nicknamed &#038;ldquo<\/a>;cocaine hippos&rdquo; due to the fact that they were brought into the country by notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/colombia-to-euthanize-cocaine-hippos-pablo-escobar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CBS News<\/a> reported that Escobar brought four hippos into Colombia for his private zoo. According to recent studies, that original four has multiplied to roughly 170 &mdash; with some estimates saying the population has reached 200 &mdash; after government officials confiscated them.<\/p>\n<p>Those hippos have only spread out more since then, with some being spotted as many as 60 miles north of where they had originally been kept.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If we don&rsquo;t do this we will not be able to control the population,&rdquo; Environment Minister Irene V&eacute;lez said. &ldquo;We have to take this action to preserve our ecosystems.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none; overflow: hidden;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/video.php?height=476&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F3706234676351949%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=476&amp;t=0\" width=\"476\" height=\"476\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The New York Post further reported, &ldquo;Environmental authorities have warned that the hippos pose a threat to villagers in farms and rivers, and that they have acted as an invasive species &mdash; competing for food and space alongside other animals such as river manatees.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The current culling project has an estimated budget of $1.98 million. That&rsquo;s roughly half of the $3.5 million price tag associated with sending the hippos out of the country.<\/p>\n<p>One thing that the Colombians cannot do, however, is send these hippos back to their native Africa.<\/p>\n<p>Due to their limited gene pool (having all descended from Escobar&rsquo;s four original hippos) and potential to carry diseases, it&rsquo;s been described as &ldquo;unfeasible&rdquo; to send the Colombian hippos back to their continent of origin.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s a paraphrase of the main content:<\/p>\n<p>When people think of the world\u2019s most dangerous animals, hippos aren\u2019t always on the list, even though they should be considered among the deadliest. They may look cute, but hippos in Africa kill about 500 people each year-more than many other creatures usually labeled as dangerous. The danger can be even greater when they\u2019re agitated or under the influence of drugs.<\/p>\n<p>In Colombia, officials have faced a hippo problem that began when Pablo Escobar kept four hippos at his private zoo. Those animals have multiplied to roughly 170-200 individuals, spreading to areas far from their original location. After years of costly attempts to control them, including efforts to neuter them, the government approved a plan to cull dozens of hippos. The creatures have become something of a tourist curiosity and are often called \u201ccocaine hippos\u201d because of their origin. The culling project is estimated to cost about $1.98 million, about half the cost of removing the hippos from the country. Returning the hippos to Africa isn\u2019t feasible due to their limited genetic diversity and the risk of disease<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2591049,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-04-14T211858.259.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[15918,77814,77815,77817,77816],"class_list":["post-2591048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-colombia","tag-hippos","tag-invasivespecies","tag-pabloescobar","tag-wildlifemanagement"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-04-14T211858.259.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2591048","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\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2591048"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2591048\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2591057,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2591048\/revisions\/2591057"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2591049"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2591048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2591048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2591048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}