A small number of ‘cocaine’ hippos hoarded by drug lord Pablo Escobar may face an uncertain future. Experts think that assassinating Escobar’s so-called “cocaine” hippos may be the only reasonable choice after the administration put them on a list of “introduced, invasive species” on Friday.
The hippos’ numbers have been increasing since they were at Escobar’s Hacienda Napoles estate. 130 cocaine hippos are now wandering free in the north of Bogota around the Magdalena River. Officials allege the ‘cocaine’ hippos are only found in Sub-Saharan Africa. They stand a hazard to local wildlife and residents residing along the river, with whom they have already conflicted.
Sterilization of the creatures, which may weigh up to 1.8 tonnes is both expensive and complicated. According to Forbes, Escobar, the former head of the murderous Medellin Cartel, assembled a drug trafficking undertaking that made him one of the world’s wealthiest men. With his fortune, he constructed a menagerie for his ranch, including hippos, flamingos, giraffes, zebras, and kangaroos.
Sacrifice is still an option
“Sacrifice (culling) is still an option,” said David Echeverri. David is the head of the state environmental agency in charge of the sterilization campaign in Cornare. “It’s a necessary alternative… it may be the only way to prevent the problem from worsening,” he told AFP.
The hippopotamuses were given to zoos after Escobar’s assassination. The semi-aquatic ungulates were at Escobar’s property to proceed with breeding. They are currently the world’s largest hippopotamus “bloat” outside of Africa.
Activists backed by green parliamentary candidate Luis Domingo Gomez recommended establishing a hippos sanctuary. The sanctuary will be a mix of public and private funds earlier this year. The government called hippos an invasive species last Friday and undertook a strategy to “manage” their population. According to research, it may quadruple in ten years. Although the plan’s contents are still not available, former environment minister Manuel Rodriguez has urged the government to employ any means necessary, including launching a hunt for the animals.