Non-native and invasive species in Columbia, they are causing serious harm to indigenous flora and fauna and then they are known to attack and kill humans
Pablo Escobar, the world’s wealthiest narco trafficker, who ruled the cocaine trade in the 1980s and early 90s, was eventually killed by the police, but even three decades later, remnants of his legacy – feral hippopotamuses are emerging as a huge threat to Columbia’s tropical ecology.
Escobar founded the notorious Medellín drugs cartel and at one time was known as the world’s richest, one behind innumerable kidnappings, bombings and assassinations.
Escobar was fond of collecting exotic but illegally imported wild animals like kangaroos, elephants, giraffes and hippos at his Hacienda Nápoles fortress near Bogota.
Most animals were distributed to zoos in the country, but of them, his four hippos–one male and three females– were too expensive to transport. They have multiplied manifold, their number touching 120, which is a decade’s time, is expected to grow to 200. Today Colombia’s hippo herd is the biggest outside Africa and could even increase to 1,500 by 2035!
Non-native and invasive species in Columbia are causing serious harm to indigenous flora and fauna and then they are known to attack and kill humans
These ‘cocaine hippos’ can be found between Medellín and Bogotá, slowly also moving towards the Magdalena River.
Non-native and invasive species in Columbia are causing serious harm to indigenous flora and fauna and then they are known to attack and kill humans.
Castration, the only option, has been rejected as the animal is aggressive even when sedated, besides of course, the huge costs that incurred in the process.
The most alarming aspect is their feces that cause algae blooms that are killing fish, being toxic. At the same time they feed on the same grasses and fruits that are eaten by native species. To top it all, while as such it’s illegal to kill them, locals too are averse to killing them in any circumstances.