Veterinarian hunts ‘Escobar’s Hippos’
“The Hunt for Escobar’s Hippos” (8 p.m., Smithsonian) is not your average animal story. I’m not saying it’s the next “Tiger King,” but it certainly has its weird elements.
While the tale of drug lord Pablo Escobar has been well-documented, his habit of collecting African hippos and raising them on his Colombian compound is less wellknown. Upon his death, his menagerie of jungle giants were left to their own devices. Hippos are among Africa’s most dangerous and destructive animals, killing far more people than lions or crocodiles. Without any natural predators to keep them in check, Escobar’s orphans appear to have thrived. More than 60 hippos ravaged the countryside, endangering villages and laying waste to the local ecosystem that feeds into the Magdalena River, Colombia’s most vital watershed.
For all of their bad behavior, the hippos have become rather beloved to
Colombians, and very strict laws prevent rangers from culling their numbers. So, local veterinarian Dr. Gina Serna is tasked with one of the most daunting spay and neutering projects on Earth.
› A variety special, “Women in Film Presents: Make It Work!” (8 p.m., CW, TV-PG) focuses on helping women, particularly in the entertainment industry, get back to their jobs after the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. The revue will blend musical performances and comedy skits about the travails of unemployment and returning to a changed and uncertain industry. A crowd of film and television stars is scheduled to appear.
A review copy of this special was not available. Why this is airing this week instead of say, Labor Day, when matters of workers’ concerns are traditionally discussed, remains a mystery. And why focus on women in “the industry,” instead of all of the people looking for work or worried about their jobs?
› During a “normal” leap-year summer, we might be thinking about the Tokyo Olympics right now. Streaming now on Netflix the 2020 documentary “Rising Phoenix” explores the phenomenon of the
Paralympic Games, looking at both the institution’s rise from the ashes of World War II and the individual struggles behind some of today’s best and most persevering athletes.
The filmmakers strive to put the emphasis on triumph and to downplay sentimentality and pity for competitors who were either born without the use of limbs or who lost them in accidents or in war. As the title implies, this film is about the rise from misfortune, celebrating an athlete’s potential rather than dwelling on adversity.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
› Chaos engulfs an anniversary ceremony on the season finale of “United We Fall” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
› Coverage of night three of the Republican National Convention (8 p.m., PBS, 10 p.m., CBS, NBC and ABC as well as continuing coverage on Fox News, CNN and MSNBC). Live streams of the RNC should also be available on Amazon, Roku and elsewhere.