Colombia approves plan to kill Pablo Escobar’s African hippos

Authorities in Colombia have approved a plan to kill dozens of African hippos living in the wild. According to them, the growing population is threatening people and local ecosystems.

The hippos are descendants of animals brought to the country in the 1980s by Pablo Escobar, who kept them in a private zoo at his Hacienda Nápoles estate.

Officials estimate that around 170 hippos were living in the wild in 2022. In recent years, the animals have spread far beyond the original estate, with sightings reported more than 100 kilometers away.

Colombia is the only country outside Africa with a wild population of hippos.

Authorities say the animals can be dangerous and have already entered farms and rivers used by local communities. They also compete with native species for food and space.

Plan to control numbers

Environment Minister Irene Vélez said up to 80 hippos could be killed as part of the new plan. She said previous efforts, such as sterilisation and relocation, have been expensive and have not worked at a large scale.

The plan has caused debate in Colombia. Animal welfare groups oppose killing the hippos and argue that the animals should be protected. Some activists say the animals are not to blame and that the situation was caused by human actions.

Others support stronger measures, saying the growing population could damage ecosystems and pose risks to people.

Over the past decade, Colombia has tried to slow the population growth by sterilising some hippos. However, these efforts have been limited due to high costs and the difficulty of handling such large and dangerous animals.

The government has not yet announced when the culling plan will begin.

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