Hippos connected to Pablo Escobar face culling in Colombia
Hippos -- descendants from a small herd introduced by drug kingpin Pablo Escobar -- are seen in the wild in a lake near the Hacienda Napoles theme park, once the private zoo of Escobar, in Doradal, Antioquia Department, Colombia, on April 19, 2023. (
Dozens of hippos who descended from the ones brought to Colombia by onetime drug kingpin Pablo Escobar will be killed as the South American nation looks to control its population.
Environment Minister Irene Vélez indicated 80 would be culled, but did not say when the process would start, according to the Associated Press.
The backstory:
An estimated 170 of the giant, semi-aquatic animals roam freely through the country, threatening villagers and displacing native species, the Associated Press reported. Colombia is the only country in South America with a wild hippopotamus population.
The hippos’ ancestors first came to Colombia when Escobar imported them for a private zoo that he was building in Hacienda Nápoles, a ranch in the Magdalena River valley. The animals have made it as far as 60 miles away.
What they're saying:
"If we don’t do this we will not be able to control the population," Vélez said. "We have to take this action to preserve our ecosystems."
The other side:
The move is being condemned by animal activists who feel the hippos should be allowed to live.
"Killings and massacres will never be acceptable," Padilla wrote on X. "These are healthy creatures who are victims of the negligence" of government entities.
The hippos cannot be taken back to Africa, the AP noted. Because of their limited gene pool and the potential diseases they carry, moving them is considered unfeasible.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from the Associated Press. This story was reported from Orlando.