Pablo Escobar's hippos

Things are back to grim for Pablo Escobar's hippos. The Administrative Court of Cundinamarca set a 3 month deadline for the Ministry of Environment to issue "a regulation that contemplates measures for the eradication of the species." The judge spelled it out. "Controlled hunting" means the hippos will be shot to end their problematic presence in Colombia.

Colombia said there were 169 hippos in the country, especially in the Magdalena River basin, and that if nothing is done there could be 1,000 by 2035. The plan's first phase was to be sterilization of 40 hippos per year. Each sterilization costs about $10k USD and entails risks for all involved. The plan was a failure.

Colombian officials contacted authorities in Mexico, India and the Philippines to deport 60 hippos. That deal was to cost $3.5 million but fell through. The final solution involves creating a protocol for euthanasia. "Sacrifice (culling) remains on the table," said David Echeverri, head of the Cornare state environmental agency. There is no political will for a cull of the beloved tourist attractions.

After Colombia added Escobar's cocaine hippos to a list of 'introduced, invasive species,' experts say killing them may be the only viable option. Attempts to sterilize the animals is going poorly, is expensive, and is extremely difficult with something which can weigh as much as 1.8 tons.  Studies suggest they could quadruple their population every 10 years if left unchecked.

At his apex in the 90s Pablo Escobar was one of the richest men in the world. With income peaking at more than $30b, the kingpin spent lavishly on his estates. The excesses of Hacienda Nápoles included a zoo stocked with exotic animals from around the world.

24 of the hippos were given a chemical that makes them infertile in 2022. The 'cocaine hippos' were sterilized after worries grew over their environmental impact.

Hippos have a lifespan of 50 years and spend most of their day under water in groups. They are notorious for being territorial and are extremely dangerous.

Escobar brought four hippos to his estate before he was shot dead in 1993. They multiplied. Relocation is not simple. Hippos are up to 3,000 pounds, and are one of the most aggressive animals on the planet.