Escobar’s hippos may be moved to India and Mexico at cost of $3.5m
Colombia is proposing transferring at least 70 hippos – descendants of animals imported from Africa illegally by the late drug lord Pablo Escobar – to India and Mexico as part of a plan to control their population.
The problem authorities are still dealing with is the estimated $3.5 million cost of relocating the semi-aquatic mammals, which can live for up to 40 years.
About 150 hippos have roamed the district of Antioquia, where Escobar had a ranch. He took a small number of the animals there – by some accounts as few as four – in the late 1980s, before his death in a shoot-out with authorities in 1993.
The hippos were left to roam free in the highly suitable tropical and swampy environment, where their numbers started to soar, with many moving to the nearby Magdalena River.
Authorities said they planned to capture and move nearly half of the hippos in the coming months, with 10 bound for the Ostok Sanctuary in northern Mexico and 60 destined for an as-yet-unnamed centre in India.
“The whole operation should cost around $3.5 million,” said Ernesto Zazueta, owner of the Ostok Sanctuary.
Anibal Gaviria, governor of the Colombian region that is home to the hippos, said officials planned to use bait to lure the animals into pens, where they would remain confined before being put in special crates for the transfer.
Colombia tried a sterilisation programme to control the hippo population, but it failed. The environment ministry declared the hippos an invasive species last year, which opened the door to a potential cull.
But the hippo transfer plan is seen as a life-saving measure.
Escobar was a notorious drug lord who rose to power in the 1970s and 1980s in Colombia, becoming one of the richest men in the world by controlling the drug trade, primarily cocaine, and by using extreme violence and intimidation to eliminate his competitors.
He is thought to be responsible for the deaths of thousands of people, including police officers, government officials, journalists and civilians. Along with sports cars and luxury villas, his vast drug empire allowed him time to pursue other interests, including setting up a private zoo with zebras, giraffes and flamingos.
The US and Colombian governments worked together to dismantle Escobar’s drug empire, but he was able to elude capture for years due to his vast resources and the loyalty of his followers.