Why the Colombian government will sacrifice Pablo Escobar’s 80 hippos

According to estimates, there are 200 wild hippos in Colombia AFP via Getty Images The four hippos that drug lord Pablo Escobar took to Colombia in the 1980s have turned into a large invasive herd. According to the most recent census from the Ministry of the Environment, in 2022 there were at least 169. Without a population control policy, it is estimated that, by 2030, they could reach more than 500, and by 2035 they would exceed a thousand. This Monday (13/4), the Minister of the Environment, Irene Vélez, announced the government’s plans to reduce the hippopotamus population, which includes the sacrifice of 80 animals of the species. Since 2022, hippos in Colombia are considered an invasive alien species, meaning they are seen as a threat to ecosystems and native biodiversity. See the videos that are trending on g1 Minister Vélez explained that the uncontrolled growth of the hippopotamus population, concentrated on the banks of the Magdalena River, contaminates the water, affects communities and puts species such as manatees and river turtles at risk. The hippopotamus is considered one of the most aggressive animals in the world and represents a risk of attack for fishermen and residents of the region. According to a study published in the journal Animals in 2021, 87% of encounters between humans and hippos in Uganda between 1923 and 1994 were fatal. Regarding the decision to carry out euthanasia, the minister stated: “From a scientific point of view, this is a necessary action to reduce the population.” Translocation and euthanasia The Minister of the Environment, Irene Vélez (center), announced this Monday that the government will begin the sacrifice of hippos. According to the minister, the expectation is that the population will be reduced by at least 33 hippos per year. The document foresees two ways to achieve this objective: translocation (taking hippos to zoos and sanctuaries in other countries) and euthanasia. The government has been trying to find countries willing to take in some of the hippos, but has not yet received a positive response from any of them. “We believe this has to do with genetic poverty and possible genetic damage that these individuals present,” Vélez said in an interview with Colombian broadcaster Blu Radio. As all animals descend from the same four Escobar hippos, genetic diversity is very low, which increases the occurrence of birth defects. The director of Forests, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Natalia Ramírez, explained that, in addition, transporting hippos to another country is very expensive. Given this, while Colombia cannot find anyone willing to receive the animals and finance their transport, the authorities chose to euthanize 80 of them. According to Vélez, the decision follows recommendations from biodiversity experts and will be carried out in accordance with a technical protocol to ensure that it is “ethical, safe and responsible”. Euthanasia for each hippopotamus will cost around 50 million Colombian pesos (approximately R$70,000), the minister said in an interview with Blu Radio. This amount does not include the burial of the body, which is necessary for public health reasons. The Ministry of the Environment’s measure also provides for hippos to be sacrificed by injection or using a dart fired from a rifle. Senator Andrea Padilla, who is an animal rights activist, spoke out against the decision, classifying it as “simplistic and cruel.” “I will never support the killing of healthy creatures; even more so when, as in this case, they are victims of the irresponsibility, negligence, indifference and corruption of the State”, he wrote in his account on the X network. Hippos in Colombia In the 1980s, when he was at the height of his power and wealth, Pablo Escobar installed a zoo at Fazenda Nápoles with hippos, giraffes, elephants, zebras, ostriches, rhinos and buffaloes. After his death in 1993, the farm was abandoned. Most of the animals were transferred to other zoos, but no one wanted to take in the hippos, which ended up becoming loose and quickly spreading beyond the farm’s boundaries, into the Magdalena River basin. The herd of hippos in Colombia is considered the first and only herd that lives wild outside the African continent. According to the Humboldt Institute, the hippo population has grown because they find everything they need: lots of food and plenty of water. Unlike Africa, where they face predators and periods of drought, in Colombia there are no so-called “natural controllers” of the population. This accelerated growth has had a major impact on ecosystems. According to reports from the Humboldt Institute, as they are megaherbivores (can exceed a ton), hippos consume native vegetation — which would normally serve as food for smaller animals — and also alter the landscape with their footsteps, in addition to producing a large amount of excrement. “Attacks on people, persecution in bodies of water, fear of fishermen to carry out their work, presence of hippos on roads and occasional encounters with fishermen, children and other species” have also been recorded, according to the institute. Since the beginning of this century, the Colombian government has been trying different strategies to control the hippo population, from slaughter to chemical castration. So far, all have proven ineffective in containing population growth. With the plan announced this Monday by Minister Vélez, the government hopes to finally reverse this scenario.

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