End of the road in Colombia for Escobar’s ‘cocaine’ hippos?

Monday 7th February 2022

End of the road in Colombia for Escobar’s ‘cocaine’ hippos?

Hippos

Hippos

More than 100 African hippos descended from fewer than a handful imported as exotic pets by drug lord Pablo Escobar, face an uncertain future in Colombia.

After the government added Escobar’s so-called “cocaine” hippos Friday to a list of “introduced, invasive species,” experts say killing them may be the only viable option.

From the few individuals once housed at Escobar’s Hacienda Napoles estate, the hippos’ numbers have ballooned, with 130 now roaming free north of Bogota around the Magdalena River.

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Richard Freeman
Richard Freeman has been the zoological director of the Centre for Fortean Zoology since 1997, and has authored a number of books on the subject of Cryptozoology. He has carried out many major expeditions in search of mystery animals. He also writes fiction.