Escobar's posthumous headache. Colombia's growing hippo crisis may lead to mass relocation

It's commonly known that rabbits multiply rapidly when left unchecked. Hippos are proving to be no exception in terms of their reproductive capabilities, yet they pose a much larger threat than these small mammals.

The original four hippos left behind by Escobar have multiplied more than 30 times in 20 years. There are predictions that their number could exceed 300 by 2031, which has led to proposals to relocate these animals, possibly to Mexico and India.

Despite their intrigue, the presence of these hippos is detrimental to the local environment. Their urine and feces alter the water composition of the local rivers, distorting the habitats of native Colombian species such as manatees and capybaras.

In an attempt to mitigate this, the Colombian government started a hippo sterilization campaign in 2021, but it achieved limited success. As such, a detailed plan to relocate these hippos to India and Mexico has been developed over the past year.

Given their size and power, hippos are a formidable species. That's why Colombian officials plan to coax them into large iron containers for transport. These will then be loaded onto trucks and driven to Rionegro's airport. From there, they will be flown in batches to a rescue and rehabilitation zoo in Gujarat, India. Approximately 60 animals are expected to be relocated to this facility.

An additional 10 hippos are planned to be relocated to zoos and reserves in Mexico.

Once, a private zoo filled with elephants, ostriches, zebras, and giraffes, besides the hippos, existed on Escobar's estate. After his demise, most of these animals were transported to zoos and reserves worldwide, whereas the hippos, Escobar's favorites, remained as a tourist attraction.

As it turns out, this has caused complications.