An Escobar Hippo Killed In Highway Collision In Colombia

BOGOTA, Colombia Escobar— According to environmental authorities, a hippopotamus descended from animals illegally transported to Colombia by the late drug lord Pablo Escobar died in a collision with an SUV on a roadway near Escobar’s property.

The hippos, which have expanded from the estate into adjacent rivers and currently number over 100, have no natural predators in Colombia and have been designated invasive species that may disrupt the ecosystem. The late-night collision highlighted the increased threat they represent to motorists.

The occupants of the vehicles were uninjured in the northwest accident on a route connecting Bogotá and Medelln, according to authorities. According to environmental officials, the hippopotamus died immediately after and was transported to be tested.

“This is one of the threats posed by the presence of this species.” Many of them cross the highway, which is dangerous for people,” said David Echeverri López, a biologist with Cornare, the local environmental authority.

Animals illegally transported to Colombia by the late drug lord Pablo Escobar died.

“Hippos are unpredictable; they can attack a person at any time,” he warned.

In the 1980s, a group was moved to Hacienda Nápoles, Escobar’s private zoo that became a tourist attraction after he died in 1993. Residents of adjacent Puerto Triunfo have grown accustomed to hippos roaming freely throughout the town.

Hippos, native to Africa, were labeled invasive in Colombia last year, and environmental experts believe their population of roughly 130 might double in eight years. The majority of hippos live freely in rivers and procreate uncontrollably.

Colombia has proposed relocating 70 animals to India and Mexico to limit the number. Scientists warn that hippos’ feces alter the makeup of rivers, potentially affecting the habitat of manatees and capybaras.

SOURCE – (AP)