Colombia faces hippopotamus invasion 30 years after Pablo Escobar: herd exceeds 120, advances 300 km along the Magdalena River, frightens residents and could reach 1.400 in ten years.

Thirty years after the death of Pablo Escobar, the hippopotamus invasion is spreading along the Magdalena River, already covering 300 km from the drug trafficker’s former ranch, frightening residents and potentially reaching 1.400 animals in just over ten years.

Colombia is currently experiencing a hippopotamus invasion that is neither exotic nor harmless. Descendants of just four animals illegally brought to Pablo Escobar’s private zoo in the 1980s, they have multiplied to form a large population. the largest herd of hippos living in the wild outside of Africa…occupying lakes, roads, and stretches of one of the country’s most important rivers. The scene of a fisherman with six scars on his arm, cars destroyed in hit-and-runs, and families afraid to leave their homes shows that the problem has gone from being a curiosity to a matter of public safety.

At the same time, this same hippopotamus invasion became a tourist attraction, yielding a theme park, souvenirs, and jobs in the region of the former Anápolis Farm. After the property was abandoned and confiscated by the State, many animals were sent to zoos inside and outside of Colombia, but the hippos stayedThey adapted to the climate, escaped the farm’s boundaries, and today present the country with a difficult dilemma: cull, castrate, relocate, or coexist with a charismatic, dangerous, and rapidly expanding invasive species.

How the hippopotamus invasion began on Pablo Escobar’s ranch.

It all started when Pablo Escobar decided to set up a private zoo. at the Anápolis Farm, about 180 km from Medellín.

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A millionaire, violent and eccentric, he illegally imported hundreds of animals, including four hippos, one male and three females. At the time, no one imagined that this small group would become synonymous with hippopotamus invasion decades later.

After Escobar’s death in 1993, the Anápolis Farm became the subject of a legal dispute between his family and the Colombian government, remained abandoned for a long time, and was eventually confiscated by the state.

Most of the animals were transferred to other zoos in the country and even abroad. But the hippos stayed behind..

According to biologist Davi Lopes, from Cornare, capturing a hippopotamus is expensive, risky, and logistically complicated, which weighed heavily in the decision. Many even thought that, left there, they would die over time.

The opposite happened. Pablo Escobar’s four hippos survived, had offspring, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and formed a growing population.which took advantage of abundant water, easy food, and the absence of natural predators.

In just a few years, what was once a remnant of a private zoo became a an uncontrolled herd of over 120 hippos, scattered across the Colombian landscape.

From private zoos to the largest herd of hippos outside of Africa.

Picture: pixabay

Over time, the animals escaped from the grounds of the Anápolis Farm and They reached the Magdalena River., one of the most important in Colombia.

Today, hippos can be seen up to 300 km away from the former farm, occupying stretches of rivers, lakes, and areas near rural communities. This expansion is the most visible sign of the hippopotamus invasion in the country.

Native to the African continent, hippos can weigh over 3 tons and, in Colombia, they are more than 10 km from their original habitat. Even so, They demonstrated a great capacity for adaptation.They found favorable conditions and multiplied almost uncontrollably.

The result is that today the region is home the largest herd of the species living freely in the wild outside of Africa, something that was never planned by the State, by scientists or by local communities.

Studies indicate that, if nothing is done, the number of animals could jump from just over 120 to… More than 1.400 hippos in just over a decade., consolidating a hippopotamus invasion on a national scale.

The larger the population, the more difficult and expensive any control plan becomes, and the greater the risks to the environment and to people.

When hippopotamus invasion becomes a matter of environmental safety and health.

The massive presence of hippos This has direct consequences for the region’s ecosystem.By constantly entering and leaving the water, they alter the chemical composition of the lakes and river, which can affect fishing and water quality.

The intense activity also drives away other important species, such as the manatee and the capybara, altering the natural balance of the environments.

However, the problem is not just ecological. Hippos are extremely aggressive animals.…especially when they feel threatened or are protecting their young. The 33-year-old Colombian fisherman, who displays six scars on his left arm, is a symbol of this risk.

He was attacked while fishing on the edge of a lake, for being too close to a female with her calf, and admits that today he is afraid to return to the place where he was injured.

On the roads, the danger is also real. On a stretch of the Medellín–Bogotá highway, A hippopotamus was run over by a car.He died instantly, and luckily, the driver was not injured.

In areas like the Puerto Triunfo district, residents are recording on video. Herds of hippos crossing dirt roads at night., or an animal passing under fences, very close to houses and businesses.

Although there are no recorded deaths caused by hippos in Colombia yet, in Africa they are among the animals that kill the most humans, fueling the warning that the worst could happen if… hippopotamus invasion Keep moving forward.

Hippos between fear, tourism and the imagination of Pablo Escobar

Despite the risks, many residents view the hippos with affection and see them as an opportunity. Tourists travel to the region to see up close the animals linked to the history of Pablo Escobar.This generates jobs in hotels, snack bars, souvenir shops, and the theme park created on the former Anápolis Farm.

It is common to find miniatures, keychains, and decorative items featuring the images of these “rich” animals.

In some areas, hippos are already part of the everyday landscape. There are warning signs, but Visitors often ignore the danger., delighted by the sight of hippos roaming near lagoons, hotel entrances, and trails in a theme park.

For many merchants, The animals are the main attraction.And the idea of ​​losing this source of income generates resistance to stricter control measures.

This mixture of fear and fascination further complicates the handling of hippopotamus invasionWhen experts suggested culling part of the population to contain the invasive species, the public reaction was strong.

Residents and animal rights advocates protested against the killing, arguing that Hippos generate jobs and attract visitors.…and that the solution should be found without exterminating all the animals.

How Colombia is trying to control the hippopotamus invasion without killing them.

Faced with social pressure and the rapid growth of the herd, Environmental agencies had to look for alternatives to culling., opting for more complex, slower, and more expensive techniques.

One of the strategies is to perform sterilization surgeries and chemical castration, attempting to reduce hippopotamus fertility and curb hippopotamus invasion over time..

Each procedure, however, requires capturing the animal, sedating it, and operating safely, which represents a major logistical challenge.

Another front is the transfer of some hippos to other countriesZoos in India, Mexico, and Ecuador have already expressed interest in receiving some of the animals.

The plan involves luring the hippos with food into large iron containers, which would then be sealed and flown abroad.

The initial idea is to relocate more than 70 individuals in the coming months, relieving pressure on the Magdalena River and surrounding communities.

Not everyone agrees with a widespread removal. There are residents who accept that… take some of the hipposHowever, they don’t want to see all the animals leave, whether out of attachment or fear of losing tourism.

In the midst of all this, the hippopotamus invasion It continues to advance, and time is running out for the authorities: the more the population grows, the more expensive and difficult any form of control becomes.

Ultimately, Colombia needs to decide what future it wants for Pablo Escobar’s hippos and the Magdalena River, balancing security, the local economy, and environmental protection.

And you, in the same situation as the Colombians, would you accept partial culling to control the hippopotamus invasion, or would you only support castration and transfer to other countries?