Colombia Greenlights Euthanizing Up to 80 'Cocaine Hippos'

(MENAFN) Colombia has greenlit the mass euthanasia of dozens of hippos roaming freely across the country's central region, as the invasive mammals pose a growing danger to local communities and threaten to overwhelm native ecosystems — a crisis tracing back to notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar.

Environment Minister Irene Velez announced that prior efforts to manage the so-called "cocaine hippo" population — including sterilization programs and zoo relocations — had proven both financially draining and largely ineffective.

According to media, Velez confirmed that as many as 80 animals would be put down, though no timeline for the operation was disclosed.

"If we don't do this, we will not be able to control the population," Velez said. "We have to take this action to preserve our ecosystems."

The South American nation holds a unique and troubling distinction: it is the only country outside Africa harboring a wild hippo population. The animals are direct descendants of four hippos Escobar smuggled into Colombia during the 1980s for his private zoo at Hacienda Napoles. Decades later, that handful of animals has ballooned into a full-scale ecological emergency.

Research from National University of Colombia placed the free-roaming hippo population at roughly 170 individuals as of 2022, with experts warning that sterilization measures alone cannot reverse their rapid growth. Authorities have formally designated the species as invasive.

Relocation to international sanctuaries has been explored but remains financially prohibitive — with transfer costs estimated at approximately $3.5 million — leaving euthanasia as the government's most viable path forward.

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