Key takeaways:
- The hippos, which are known as “cocaine hippos,” have spread from the estate into nearby rivers and now number more than 100.
- They have no natural predators in Colombia and have been declared an invasive species that could upset the ecosystem.
- Local authorities are now looking for ways to manage the hippo population and reduce the risk of similar accidents in the future.
Colombia is now dealing with dozens of hippos, decades after the late drug kingpin Pablo Escobar brought them to the country. On Tuesday night, one of the hippos was killed in a collision with an SUV on a highway near Escobar’s hacienda.
The hippos, which are known as “cocaine hippos,” have spread from the estate into nearby rivers and now number more than 100. They have no natural predators in Colombia and have been declared an invasive species that could upset the ecosystem.
The crash late Tuesday highlighted the danger that hippos, which weigh as much as 2 tons, can pose to motorists. Local authorities are now looking for ways to manage the hippo population and reduce the risk of similar accidents in the future.
The hippos are a reminder of Escobar’s legacy in Colombia. He brought the animals to the country in the 1980s as part of his private zoo. While the hippos have become a tourist attraction, they are also a reminder of the environmental damage caused by Escobar’s reign.
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