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Colombia Plans to Cull Invasive Hippos Descended from Pablo Escobar's Zoo as Population Surges
Anant Ambani has proposed moving up to 80 hippos from Doradal, Colombia, to his Vantara wildlife reserve in Gujarat, India. The offer comes after Colombia's government announced a plan in mid-April to cull up to 80 animals this year to control a population that has grown to 200. Local residents view the hippos as a tourist attraction descended from Pablo Escobar's private zoo.
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Indian billionaire Anant Ambani has offered to relocate 80 hippos to his Vantara wildlife reserve in Gujarat, India, potentially sparing them from Colombia's newly announced cull. In mid-April, Colombia's government announced a plan to control the country's hippo population, including culling up to 80 animals this year.
Colombia's Environment Ministry warns that if drastic measures are not taken the hippo population could double over the next five years.
Scientists estimate there are now 200 hippos roaming freely around Doradal, Colombia. The hippos are descendants of four animals brought illegally to Colombia in the 1980s by Pablo Escobar. Pablo Escobar owned a private zoo on a ranch near Doradal that included elephants, giraffes, and zebras.
The Colombian government seized Pablo Escobar's properties in 1993, after which no one captured the hippos. Doradal, Colombia, is surrounded by lush forests and big rivers. Hippos are present every afternoon at a lake on the edge of Doradal, where locals and tourists gather to chat, drink beers and watch the animals floating on the water.
"This is one of the main attractions in town," says Lina Morales, a local hotel worker. In Doradal, the hippos have become a tourist attraction. Statues of hippos are displayed throughout Doradal, Colombia.
Some locals take visitors on hippo safaris and sell keyrings, T-shirts, and other souvenirs featuring hippos. "They are part of our community now," says business owner Tania Galindo. " Biologist Nataly Castelblanco-Martinez said the hippos deposit large amounts of waste in lakes and riverbeds which can lead to changes in water chemistry including changes in pH and less oxygen.
