Colombia approves cull of Pablo Escobar-legacy wild hippos

Colombia authorizes a controversial cull of invasive hippos, a living legacy of Pablo Escobar's private zoo, to protect its ecosystem. | Contesto: cronaca

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• Colombia approves cull of Pablo Escobar-legacy wild hippos

Contesto

The Colombian government has formally approved a plan to cull a population of invasive hippopotamuses, descendants of animals once owned by the late drug lord Pablo Escobar. The decision, announced this week, marks a definitive and controversial step in managing a growing ecological crisis in the Magdalena River basin. Authorities have determined that the hippos, which now number over 130, pose a significant threat to native wildlife and local communities, leaving population control as the only viable long-term solution. The saga of Colombia's hippos began in the late 1980s when Escobar imported a small number of the animals for his private zoo at his sprawling Hacienda Nápoles estate. Following his death in 1993, the property was abandoned and most animals were relocated. The hippos, however, proved too difficult to capture and transport. Left to their own devices in the favorable climate and with no natural predators, they escaped into the surrounding waterways and began to breed prolifically. From an original group of one male and three females, the population has exploded, creating the largest herd of hippos outside of Africa. Scientists and environmental authorities have long warned that the animals are an invasive species causing severe damage to the local ecosystem. Their sheer size and voracious appetites alter the chemistry of lakes and rivers, displacing native species like the vulnerable West Indian manatee. Their waste promotes harmful algal blooms that deplete oxygen in the water, killing fish. Furthermore, their aggressive territorial behavior presents a direct and growing danger to fishermen and residents along the riverbanks, with several close encounters and attacks reported in recent years. Previous attempts at management, including a limited sterilization program, have failed to curb the population's rapid growth. The procedure is expensive, logistically complex, and risky for the animals and veterinarians involved. With the herd's numbers projected to reach over 400 within a decade, the government's environmental agency concluded that sterilization alone is insufficient. The newly approved plan will involve a coordinated effort by...

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Categoria: cronaca