The World Briefly

April 18, 2023

Rise of the Hippos

Colombia

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A car crash in northwestern Colombia this month killed one of the descendants of the infamous “cocaine hippos” that were introduced to the Latin American country by the late drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, prompting calls for the government to take action against the invasive mammals, the Guardian reported.

The accident occurred in the municipality of Doradal on a highway connecting the cities of Bogotá and Medellin. Officials said the car’s driver was unharmed, but the hippo was declared dead soon after the crash.

It marks the first time authorities have logged a hippopotamus-caused road traffic accident since Escobar brought the animals to Colombia from Africa at the height of his power in the 1970s and 1980s.

Initially, only four of the animals entered Colombia, but officials estimate that their numbers have risen to around 150. Since then, they have become a nuisance to locals and the country’s environment with hippo attacks increasing in recent years.

Residents in the northwestern Antioquia province lamented that the invasive animals are jeopardizing their livelihoods and endangering other animal species that inhabit Colombia’s major artery, the Magdalena River.

The growing population of hippos has posed a persistent challenge for Colombian governments over the years.

Studies predict that by 2034 the population could reach 1,400, posing a threat to the delicate ecosystem of the Magdalena River and potentially endangering human lives.

In an attempt to address the issue, local officials have suggested relocating 70 hippos to zoos and sanctuaries in Mexico and India. However, analysts expressed skepticism about the feasibility of the proposal.

This story originally appeared in the April 18, 2023 newsletter, Fathers and Sons.