Colombia is moving forward with a controversial plan to euthanize dozens of invasive hippos descended from Pablo Escobar’s private collection, as their population continues to grow uncontrollably. The decision highlights a complex clash between environmental protection, public safety, and animal welfare, with no easy solution in sight.
As early as 2022, Colombia’s growing hippopotamus population had become a topic of concern. And for good reason: although hippos have not caused a single death in the country, Colombian authorities recognize that this wild population does not belong to the local ecosystem. As a result, it has no natural predators, allowing unchecked expansion and widespread disruption of the landscape.
And that’s not all: even though they haven’t caused major incidents in Colombia, data from Uganda—where hippos are native—shows that 87% of encounters between this species and humans have been fatal.
But these aren’t just any hippos. They were once the pets of one of Latin America’s—and arguably the world’s—most notorious drug traffickers: the infamous Pablo Escobar Gaviria. Today, Colombia still holds Escobar responsible for this relentless expansion and is actively seeking ways to curb it. Current projections estimate that the population could reach around 500 hippos by 2030—and double just five years later.
How Did Non-Native Hippos End Up in Colombia, and Why Are They a Concern for the Government?
In the 1980s, Pablo Escobar Gaviria brought four hippos to Colombia as part of his private collection. They lived on his Hacienda Nápoles estate alongside other exotic animals, including giraffes, elephants, zebras, ostriches, rhinos, and buffalo.
But in 1993, the narco-empire collapsed with the death of the powerful drug lord, leaving the estate completely abandoned. Some animals were relocated, but no one wanted to take in the hippos. Left behind, they escaped and spread throughout …
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Author: Camila Berriex / High Times
