The Colombian government pushes to kill Pablo Escobar’s “cocaine” hippos as they’re threatening local wildlife and humans.
The Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar built Hacienda Nápoles, an estate with a Spanish colonial house, a park, and a zoo. When Escobar ruled over the drug trade in the 1980s, he housed several animals in his estate, including giraffes, elephants, antelopes, ponies, ostriches, exotic birds, and hippopotamuses.
During the shootout in 1993 that led to the police killing Escobar, the animals were passed on to the Colombian government save for Escobar’s cocaine hippos. Now, the Colombian government fears these ungulate herbivores will wreak havoc to the local wildlife and the humans living along the river.
Smuggled cocaine hippos
The most feared Colombian drug lord smuggled the hippos in the 1980s into his estate. The number, which was around 35, has now increased and gone past a hundred. Although these semiaquatic animals are native to sub-Saharan Africa, these hippos pose a significant danger to the north of Bogotá and the Magdalena River.
Hippos are considered invasive species in this area, and experts have advised killing these animals to save the local ecosystem. Over 130 of these hippos are now roaming around the Magdalena River and the wetlands north of Bogotá.
Cornare state development head David Echeverri said that there are many sacrifices to deal with when keeping these hippos. In an interview with AFP, he is adamant that the only option to stop the problem from worsening is sterilizing these hippos.
Sterilization efforts
Cornare also claims that there have been sterilization efforts done in the past. However, this might not be a viable option as it’s expensive. The state department has sterilized 11 hippos and dart 40 hippos with contraceptives. Cornare recalls that this process cost the state over $100,000 in American dollars, which proved futile as the hippos didn’t stop multiplying.
On the other hand, Escobar also fought for these hippos’ lives by litigating the Colombian government for killing or sterilizing the animals. He referred to the legal rights in the U.S. coupled with a federal court order in 2021 to proclaim these animals as “interested persons,” protecting the animals.
Criminal law professor Camilo Burbano Cifuentes said that these claims don’t impact Colombian territories. He also said that only the Colombian authorities could decide whether or not to kill the hippos.
Scientists vs. animal activists
The hippos have arisen debate between scientists and animal activists. The former claims that these animals will gravely impact the area’s biodiversity. Meanwhile, the latter expresses a solid aversion to the disregard of these animals.
Manuel Rodriguez, the former environment minister, instructs to do whatever it takes to bring down these animals. This includes an open hunt.
Rodriguez also emphasized the two major attacks on people in 2021 that almost cost them their lives. He says that keeping these hippos may bring more tragedy than good.
The animals also attack local wildlife such as manatees. Many efforts from animal activists have surfaced, including proposals of housing hippos in a sanctuary using private and public funding. Unfortunately, experts oppose this proposition due to the costs it will incur. The debate leaves experts and animal activists with a simple decision-making thought that native species have priority over invasive species.
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