Pablo Escobar's hippos keep multiplying and Colombia doesn't know how to stop it

[Judi Lynn]

CBS NEWS February 9, 2019, 12:39 PM


Fishing villages, small boats and children at play dot the landscape along the shallow waterways of Colombia's Magdalena River. But an invasive species left behind by one of the country's most infamous figures is threatening the ecosystem and, possibly, a way of life.

That species? Hippos. The giants, native only to Africa, are now running wild in Colombia, reports CBS News' Manuel Bojorquez.

The story of Colombia's hippos starts in Villa Napoles, the former estate of Pablo Escobar, who in his heyday had four hippos smuggled there for his private zoo.

Escobar's ranch housed hundreds of exotic animals including rhinos, elephants and giraffes. By the 1980s, his cocaine empire made him the wealthiest and most feared drug lord in the world. For Colombia, it was a reign of terror. He's said to be responsible for some 7,000 deaths.

Video at link.

More:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pablo-escobars-hippos-keep-multiplying-and-colombia-doesnt-know-how-to-stop-it/

Environment and energy:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1127123566

[Kali]

1. interesting!

I had not heard of this situation.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Here's a large page of images from articles in google images, showing tons of Escobar hippo pictures

http://tinyurl.com/yxly9ulf

I'm so glad they decided not to shoot any more and are working on a solution for what to do with these guys! They are so interesting!

[GatoGordo]

3. Do what needs to be done

If they are invasive and a threat to the ecology and safety, they can either be trapped (if the resources are available) or hunted.