Colombian court orders drastic measures against Escobar's hippos

Pablo Escobar, who died in a police raid in December 1993, had accumulated exotic animals on his estate for years, including giraffes, tigers, antelopes, and hippos. He did not import many hippos from Africa, just four. However, after his death, the animals reproduced in the wild, and according to government forecasts, there could be over a thousand by 2035.

The Ministry of Environment announced last year a plan to sterilise part of the invasive species population, which also included the possibility of euthanising some animals. However, as noted by AFP, sterilisation efforts are progressing slowly, and no animal has been euthanised yet. Plans to relocate dozens of hippos to Mexico, India, and the Philippines have also brought no results.

Finally, the Administrative Court in the Cundinamarca department in central Colombia sided with a complaint lodged by a representative of the local community, who emphasised that the hippos threaten people and the environment. On Friday, 6 September, the court ruled on the hippos.

The court ruled that the Ministry of Environment should issue a decree within three months. As potential remedial measures, the judges mentioned controlled culling and sterilisation of the hippos. It was found that as an invasive species, "Escobar's hippos" displace native species, exacerbated by their large size and territorial behaviours.

Hippos can be very aggressive when they feel threatened, and several cases of hippo attacks on people have already been reported in Colombia.

The "Escobar's hippos" issue has sparked lively debate in Colombia. In addition to the threats to the population and the ecosystem, there are voices from the other side. Some argue that their presence helps the local economy by stimulating tourism.