Crisis in Colombia on the hippos by Pablo Escobar | the Chronicle

Pablo Escobar It’s a name Colombia has been trying to forget for 30 years. One of the most notorious criminals of all time, who was the author of kidnappings, bombings and murders indiscriminately. He was the founder of the famous Medellín drug cartel in the 1980s and was once believed to he was one of the richest men in the world.

But the cocaine hub is also responsible for what scientists call a ” ecological time bomb “. A group of hippos originally imported by Escobar to his private zoo decades ago has multiplied and, according to scientists, now they are extended by one of the country’s main waterways: the Magdalena River.

In a study published in the journal Biological conservation on January 17, a team of scientists argued that slaughtering animals is the only way to mitigate their environmental impact. “It is obvious that we are sorry for these animals, but as scientists we have to be honest”, Colombian biologist told BBC Nataly Castelblanco, one of the study’s authors.

“Hippos are an invasive species in Colombia and if we don’t kill part of their population now, the situation could get out of hand in 10 or 20 years”, recognized.

Growing problem

The rise of the so-called “Cocaine hippos” it is directly linked to the murder of Pablo Escobar by Colombian security forces in 1993. After his death, authorities confiscated Hacienda Napoles, his luxury estate about 250 kilometers northwest of the Colombian capital, Bogotá.

They dismantled their private zoo, although it later became part of a popular theme park. The animals at Hacienda Napoles were originally distributed to zoos across the country. But not the hippos. “Logistically, it was difficult to move them, so the authorities just left them there, probably thinking the animals would die ”, Castelblanco clarified.

Instead, they thrived. Over the years, scientists have attempted to calculate how many hippos live in Colombia’s waterways. Estimates range from 80 to 120 animals. “It is the largest herd of hippos outside of Africa, which is its region of origin ”, the veterinarian and environmentalist told the BBC Carlos valderrama.

And the numbers are only expected to increase. Castelblanco and his companions declared that, without sacrificing them, the mammal population will reach more than 1,400 specimens by 2034, all descendants of the original group of one male and three females. In the studio, they imagined an ideal scenario in which 30 animals must be euthanized or sterilized each year for this not to happen.

But why are these hippos a problem? Castelblanco explained that “Cocaine hippos” They seized an evolving opportunity. They have no natural predators in South America, the lions and crocodiles that would normally feast on their young.. It means that hippos can reproduce much more easily.

The population growth is also facilitated by the climate: in Africa, it is controlled by droughts that do not occur in Colombia. In fact, the conditions in their South American home seem so ideal for the hippos that they even seem to mature sooner. “Studies show that these hippos start to breed at an earlier age than their African parents,” Castelblanco commented.

The Scientists studying the environmental impact of hippos believe their presence could affect the local ecosystem in several ways: from the displacement of native species already in danger of extinction, such as the manatee, to the alteration of the chemical composition of rivers, which could endanger fishing.

“Hippos are spreading across Colombia’s largest watershed, where thousands of people live”said the biologist and added: “There have been sightings of hippos up to 370 kilometers from Hacienda Napoles”

But aside from the environmental issue, there is the issue that hippos aren’t cute animals at all. The mammal frequently appears on lists of the world’s deadliest animals, and in 2016 the BBC reported that its attacks were killing at least 500 people a year in Africa.