Colombian Baby Hippo of Escobar Stock Dies After Rescue
Veterinarians stabilized the calf and moved it to Hacienda Nápoles as officials confront about 200 wild hippos, the Environment Ministry said.
- On Tuesday, fishermen discovered a newborn hippopotamus calf alone in bushes along the Magdalena River in Puerto Nare, Antioquia, prompting a rescue by regional authorities.
- Descended from animals imported by slain drug kingpin Pablo Escobar during the 1980s, the calf belongs to Colombia's wild population of around 200 so-called "cocaine hippos."
- Independent journalist Audrey Huse explained that because the animals lack natural predators found in Africa, the population is booming and affecting the local ecosystem, poisoning rivers.
- Veterinarians treated the animal for "advanced dehydration and malnutrition" before authorities transferred the stabilized calf to a sanctuary at Hacienda Napoles, the estate formerly owned by Escobar.
- Facing ecological threats, Colombia's government approved a plan this year to cull around 80 hippos after previous attempts to control their reproduction through sterilization failed.
30 Articles
30 Articles
In 1980s, Colombia inherited 4 hippos left behind at Pablo Escobar's estate, but today they have grown into world's largest invasive hippo population
In Colombia, the hippos originally imported by Pablo Escobar have become an ecological menace. Initially introduced for his private zoo, their population has surged to over eighty, wreaking havoc on local waterways. Their excrement disrupts the delicate balance of river ecology, depleting oxygen levels and triggering harmful algal blooms. Addressing this invasive species poses significant environmental hurdles that require urgent attention.
Radio France Internationale
Colombian baby hippo of Escobar stock dies after rescue
Colombia has around 200 invasive hippos living in the wild, according to the Environment Ministry, all of which stemmed from a colony brought to South America by the late cocaine kingpin. It is the largest hippo colony anywhere outside Africa. Authorities earlier Wednesday rescued the roughly 15-day-old malnourished creature, which had been discovered by fishermen on the banks of a river without its mother. The infant hippo "was admitted with ch…
A newborn hippopotamus was rescued in the Colombian municipality of Puerto Nare, in the department of Antioquia (northwest), after being found alone, dehydrated and malnourished by a family of fishermen, the environmental authorities reported on Wednesday. "The specimen remained trapped among shrubs and, due to its small age and delicate state of health, required immediate veterinary care to ensure its survival," said the Regional Autonomous Cor…
The drug lord imported four hippos in the 1980s for his private zoo and now has around 200.
A newborn hippopotamus was rescued in the Colombian municipality of Puerto Nare, in the department of Antioquia (northwest), after being found alone, dehydrated and malnourished by a family of fishermen, the environmental authorities reported on Wednesday.
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