A descendant of a hippo belonging to drug lord Pablo Escobar has died in a traffic accident in Colombia. The animal was hit by a car on the highway between Medellin and the capital Bogota. Two people in the vehicle suffered minor injuries. Authorities are now feeling encouraged in their plan to relocate the animals.
Hippos have long been a pest in Colombia. Wednesday’s accident is “one of the dangers of the presence of this species,” said David Echeverry of Conare, a government environmental organization.
Danger to humans and the environment
Drug lord Escobar once brought four African hippos to his Hacienda Napoles. After Escobar’s death in 1993, they were released into the rainforest – and have multiplied ever since. Recently, an estimated 65 to 80 animals roamed the region. They destroy fields, unbalance ecosystems and endanger residents.
Experts fear that the reproductive animals will settle in larger parts of Colombia. The hippos are now being taken to zoos in Mexico and India.
The president should help
The Ministry of the Environment is currently seeking appropriate permits in accordance with international agreements on trade in protected species. “This accident highlights the importance of bringing hippos to Mexico and India,” Antioquia Governor Anibal Gaviria wrote on Twitter. He asked the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, for help in obtaining the permits.
Source: Krone
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