Colombian authorities plan to euthanize 80 hippos descended from animals smuggled by drug lord Pablo Escobar into the country back in the 1980s. Officials intend to control a population of around 200 animals that are living in the vicinity of the Magdalena River.
The controversial plan is being opposed by animal welfare activists. However, local communities and residents argue that euthanasia is necessary, as the hippos have been causing damage to the ecosystem of the Magdalena River and posing danger to tourists and locals alike.
On April 27, Indian billionaire Anant Ambani offered to relocate the hippos to his wildlife sanctuary in India. The billionaire’s proposal is under consideration by Colombia’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, but it remains unclear whether authorities are willing to accept it or will proceed with euthanizing the animals.
Indeed, Pablo Escobar once ruled the global cocaine trade, amassing immense wealth and building extravagant estates filled with exotic animals. Decades later, remnants of that legacy still roam Colombia, turning an infamous chapter of history into an ongoing environmental dilemma. Click through this gallery to learn more about Escobar’s extraordinary life.