The Colombian government has been investigating plans to castrate Pablo Escobar’s hippos which are rampaging through his hometown 25 years after his death.
The drug lord, once the seventh richest man in the world, bought four hippos from a Californian zoo in the early 1980s and kept them outside his mansion in Doradal.
They were left to their own devices after the kingpin was killed and now number around 60, making them the largest hippo herd outside Africa.
More than 20 years after Pablo Escobar died in a brutal gunfight with police, he leaves behind the legacy of his pet hippos
Police killed or locked up the Colombian drug lord’s gang, but the four hippos bought from a Californian zoo in the early 1980s were left to breed to a 35-strong herd
The hippos were left to their own devices after the kingpin was killed and now number around 60, making them the largest hippo herd outside Africa
For a few years now, officials have been investigating ways to control the population, worrying that the hippos displace endemic animals like otters and manatees and pose a danger to local residents.
So far, four have been castrated in a dangerous, difficult, and expensive process and one has youngster has been relocated to a Colombian zoo.
But more recently some scientists have defended the hippos, insisting they may actually be useful to the environment.
Because they eat on land and excrete in water, they funnel nutrients, alter the structure of wetlands and keep grassy plants in check.
In an essay last year, one leading biologist said the hippos provide beneficial ‘ecosystem services’.
The animals have left Escobar’s private zoo on his Napoles Estate and now, arguably the biggest wild hippo herd outside Africa, they break fences and defecate in the rivers of the quiet village of Dorada, Colombia
Locals have deemed them ‘village pets’ and said they regularly visit the canal at night
Jens-Christian Svenning, a biologist with Aarhus University in Denmark, wrote: ‘Many large mammals have been introduced from other continents to various areas of the region for hunting or accidentally and it would make sense to more carefully consider their ability to substitute lost megafauna effects and balance these against any negative effects they might have, rather a priori viewing them negatively.’
Speaking to National Geographic, he added: ‘Hippos could likely contribute a partial restoration of these effects, likely benefiting native biodiversity overall.’
Escobar (pictured in early 1980s) was one of the richest and most powerful criminals ever
Dr Svenning said the hippos should be left to thrive for the time being.
And it seems some locals are on board with his plan. While hippos are aggressive and dangerous, some resuidents have deemed them ‘village pets.’
They said that when they are not at Escobar’s private ranch, Hacienda Napoles theme park, they visit the canal at night.
‘I was going to football training this morning about 6.30 and there was one in the meadow, opposite the school,’ said Lina Maria Alvarez, 12.
Just outside the village, Diego Alejandro Rojas, 19, shined a flashlight on a black mass grazing among the tall grass and saw that it was a hippo.
Mr Rojas said: ‘They come from the Napoles Estate along the canal after nightfall. They are like the village pets. I’m more afraid of the snakes than the hippos.’
David Echeverri Lopez, a biologist from the regional environmental corporation Cornare, said it is the biggest herd of wild hippopotamuses outside of Africa.
The have thrived in this green spot in northern Colombia, but Mr Echeverri warned they break fences and defecate in the rivers.
‘This is a paradise for them,’ said local veterinarian Jairo Leon Henao.
‘They have no predators so they are more at peace than they would be in their natural habitat and they have been reproducing faster.’
Just outside the village, Diego Alejandro Rojas, 19, shined a flashlight on a black mass grazing among the tall grass and saw that it was a hippo
The hippo was seen feeding at the farm in the dark as a local resident exposed it
The drug lord, once the seventh richest man in the world, bought four hippos from a Californian zoo in the early 1980s and kept them outside his mansion in Doradal
Signs have been erected warning villagers about the presence of hippos in Doradal
Escobar bought four hippos from a zoo in California and flew them to his ranch in the early 1980s, Mr Echeverri said.
Doradal and the Escobar’s old ranch lie 120 miles from the city of Medellin, which gave its name to his cartel.
Mr Echeverri said the hippos are as fierce as Escobar’s gang: ‘If they get aggressive they pose a risk to Colombian biodiversity.’
He added that they could displace native fauna such as otters and endangered manatees.
‘It is an invasive species and very resistant to everything. They carry diseases that can kill livestock,’ Mr Echeverri explained, standing by the lake at Hacienda Napoles, where hippos’ giant snouts and ears poked out of the water.
Escobar bought four hippos from a zoo in California and flew them to his ranch in the early 1980s, Mr Echeverri said. He now estimates there are about 60 in the area
Hippos are seen at the Hacienda Napoles theme park, once the private zoo of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar at his Napoles ranch
Two hippopotamus play in a lake at the Napoles ranch thematic park in Puerto Triunfo municipality
Since hippos can live for up to 60 years, authorities are seeking a way to manage the herd over the long term
Since hippos can live for up to 60 years, authorities are seeking a way to manage the herd over the long term
‘They pollute the water courses where they defecate.’
Since hippos can live for up to 60 years, authorities are seeking a way to manage the herd over the long term.
Another scientist, Mr Leon, said costly and tricky attempts to castrate the hippos to curb their spread have not made much progress.
It is hard to tell whether a hippo is a male because its testicles are hidden inside.
If they are caught before they disappear underwater, they must be put to sleep before their sex can be determined.
Mr Leon said costly and tricky attempts to castrate the hippos to curb their spread have not made much progress, and only four have been castrated
Conservaitonists are building barriers of rocks, trees and wire to keep the hippos from roaming too far, and growing fodder to keep them happy where they are
A hippo model is seen in a park in the village, which is in the Antioquia department of Colombia