Pablo Escobar, in addition to transporting large amounts of drugs, planted the seed of another “gift” that Colombia has been trying to deal with for some time. The former drug lord bought four hippos for his ranch and after a history in which nature has moved forward without looking back, today there are hundreds of creatures and it is a real nightmare for the country. Desperate situations once again lead to extreme measures.
News. The slaughter of hippos has been given the green light, literally. As part of an ongoing effort to address the invasive hippo population that Escobar first introduced to the country, a Colombian court has issued an order stating that the animals can and should be hunted.
According to ABC News, the Cundinamarca Administrative Court has ordered the Colombian Environment Ministry to implement “regulations that foresee measures aimed at the extinction of species,” stating that these measures must include “controlled hunting and sterilization.”
Inside the story. We mentioned this a while ago, but the problem has only gotten worse since then. It all started in the 1980s when Escobar illegally imported these four exotic species onto his farm as part of a zoo he was building.
Following Escobar’s death in 1993, most of the animals were relocated elsewhere, but these hippos evaded capture and were abandoned in lakes and rivers in the area. It was thought that they would not cause much trouble and would probably die out over time, but due to the lack of natural predators and a poor environment, they proliferated extremely rapidly and today there are an estimated 169 of them in the Magdalena River area.
Not only this. This uncontrolled growth has led to serious ecological and social problems. Why? Hippos disrupt local ecosystems, displacing native species and polluting water bodies with their faeces, affecting biodiversity. They are also a danger to residents of nearby communities, as they are aggressive and potentially dangerous animals.
First control attempts. Authorities have so far courted controversy when they have tried to control the population through sterilization or slaughter, and the problem has grown to become a major environmental problem for Colombia.
The work that ignites the fuse. While this is still a guess, if left to their own devices, one study predicts the hippo population will reach 1,400 by 2039, which the courts say poses a threat to the “ecological balance” of the region.
Moreover, as we have said before, previous studies have found that one of the main problems is hippo feces, which acts as a powerful fertilizer in the surrounding lakes and rivers. As a result, there is a population explosion of bacteria and algae living there, which can lead to both harmful algal blooms and a lack of oxygen and nutrients for other organisms that depend on the water.
Hiccup is after him. Now, let’s get to this week’s news. Colombian authorities have made several attempts to eradicate these invasive creatures. In fact, this isn’t the first time they’ve tried to catch them. In 2009, authorities in Antioquia issued a culling order for three hippos that were alleged to be a safety hazard (they managed to euthanize one of them).
In 2021, a local court ruled that the animals should be sterilized rather than euthanized. While plans were developed last year to remove some, the project was slow to progress. Now, a decision by the Cundinamarca Administrative Court has given the Ministry of Environment three months to introduce “regulations foreseeing measures aimed at the eradication of the species” in the region.
Criticism of the measure. After learning of the authorities’ approval, animal rights groups opposed the hunting plans as part of the tourism industry. It seems Escobar’s legacy continues to draw visitors to the country each year, including these two-ton giants that roam the land where his property is located.
Image | Unsplash, YouTube
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Source: Xatak Android
Ashley Johnson is a science writer for “Div Bracket”. With a background in the natural sciences and a passion for exploring the mysteries of the universe, she provides in-depth coverage of the latest scientific developments.