Colombia Plans to Ship 70 of Pablo Escobar's 'Cocaine Hippos' to New Homes in India and Mexico

Photo: Fernando Vergara/AP/Shutterstock

According toUSA Today, the so-called “cocaine hippos” have become an invasive species in the South American country, where more than 130 are now settled into a favorable habitat that stretches beyond Hacienda Napoles, Escobar’s former estate, along the Magdalena River.

Hippos are aggressive, territorial animals that can weigh up to three tons and are among the world’s most dangerous animals, perNational Geographic. They are also responsible for an estimated 500 deaths around the world each year,NPRreported.

PHOTO: Fernando Vergara/AP/ShutterstockPHOTO: Ivan Valencia/AP/Shutterstock

Scientists have raised concerns that the hippos' insatiable appetite for vegetation is crowding out native animals, polluting soil and water, and threatening biodiversity,USA Todayalso noted.

PerCBS News, the Colombian government declared them a toxic invasive species in 2022. After being sued over its plan to sterilize or kill the animals, a federal court ruled that the hippos can be recognized as “interested persons” with legal rights in the U.S. The order, however, does not carry any significance in Colombia.

“It is possible to do, we already have experience relocating hippos in zoos nationwide,” David Echeverri López, a spokesman for Cornare, the local environmental group leading the relocations, told CBS News.

From there, the hippos will then be flown to their new home countries.

Sixty will be sent to the Greens Zoological Rescue & Rehabilitation Kingdom in India, perUSA Today.

The remaining 10 hippos will go to zoos and sanctuaries in Mexico, including the Ostok in Sinaloa, along the Gulf of California.

source: people.com