Pablo Escobar’s ‘Cocaine Hippos’ Threatening Colombia’s Biodiversity

Pablo Escobar’s ‘Cocaine Hippos’ Threatening Colombia’s Biodiversity

A group of hippos introduced to Colombia by drug cartel leader Pablo Escobar in the 1990s is causing concern among researchers and conservationists. After Escobar’s death, the hippos were left to establish themselves in Colombia’s Magdalena River and nearby lakes, and their population has multiplied to around 150 individuals. Scientists now worry that the environment […]

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POLL: Should Pablo Escobar’s hippos be culled to halt biodiversity disaster?

POLL: Should Pablo Escobar’s hippos be culled to halt biodiversity disaster?

Hippos imported illegally into Colombia for Pablo Escobar’s private zoo have gone feral in the lush tropical countryside and must be culled before their invasive presence starts to wipe out indigenous flora and fauna, scientists have warned. One of the notorious drug lord’s great extravagances saw him amass a collection of hippos, kangaroos, giraffes, elephants […]

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