Hippos brought to Colombia and going wild threaten the balance of nature.
A Colombian court has ordered that the late drug lord Pablo Escobar the population that originated from imported hippos must also be reduced by hunting.
The court gave the Ministry of the Environment three months to “regulate the position that affects the balance of nature”.
There are currently estimated to be around 170 hippos in the state of Antioquia. The strain originated from the animals that Escobar once brought to his private zoo. After Escobar’s death, the animals were released into the wild, where they have no natural enemies.
Hippos have already caused problems for fishermen in the area, and according to experts, they also threaten the area’s manatee community. On the other hand, hippos have also become a popular tourist attraction.
The Ministry of the Environment has limited the number of hippos so far only by sterilizing some animals, but the hippos have not been hunted. The ministry has also considered moving hippos from the area abroad.