Pablo Escobar's Hippos Are Multiplying in Colombia and Causing All Sorts of Trouble

in #news6 years ago

 The late Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar was infamous for his  extravagant lifestyle, and the impact of his operation is still being  felt in the country today. One strange and unexpected problem that  surfaced long after Escobar’s death involves the invasive species that  he brought to the zoo at his home in Colombia. His hippos have become  the biggest problem as they rapidly multiply and threaten the area’s  ecosystem. The hippos, native to Africa, are disrupting the local wildlife and terrorizing nearby villages, preventing villagers from accessing streams and waterways. Biologist David Echeverri says that most of the animals from Escobar’s zoo were returned to their natural habitats or are now housed in sanctuaries.

When Escobar’s empire fell, there were only four hippos. Researchers estimate that there are now over 50. Most of the hippos still live inside Escobar’s former estate, which  was turned into a theme park in 2007. However, as the hippos grow in  number they are becoming impossible to contain and have now wandered as  far as 100 miles away. 

 Sadly, the hippo’s presence is disrupting wildlife native to the  region, many of which are no match for the powerful animal. Locals are  at odds about how to deal with the problem. When officials first began  to hunt the hippos in an attempt to eradicate them, locals who  considered them a sort of local mascot protested against the hunts. As a  result, a federal judge banned the hunting of hippos. Experts are now  suggesting that the animals should just be relocated. While the hippos wait to be relocated, many have become a tourist  attraction and even have their own exhibit at the Escobar theme park. 

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Anytime people introduce new species to an environment there are always unexpected reprucussions. They always seem to thrive in these new environments and eventually overtake them and become a nuisance. It's strange that they are hippos though, usually it's like an insect, plant or fish. Friggin hippos!! Crazy

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Very true, @leaky20. If you know about the rabbit incident in Australia last century, it was also along the same line.
Some army man decided to take 6 rabbits to his home country, to show them how the new species, and pretty soon there were a several thousand of them and Australia is trying to eradicate them till today.

Yeah. Happens all of the time a d all over the world. For us it was zebra mussels in our lakes. Now they've taken over completely lol

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in the ancient Rome happened the same in some island with two rabbits. One legion had to go there and kill them all

Any sources where I could read about it @kingaustral? Would be immensely helpful.

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Estrabón and Plinio, talked about the rabbit plague in times of Augustus, who born in the actual Córdoba province (Spain). In fact, Hispania its the result of a transliteration of the fenician lenguaje, and it means "land of rabbits". Later, Plinio due a lack of interpretation, named the Hispania province as "Cuniculosa" (it means the same, land of rabbits). The references are two, but later i found another one with the whole episode, in wich a full legion got to kill the massive rabbit population in the balearic islands. Sorry for my english:

Plinio ( NH 3, 78; 8, 217-218)
Estrabón (3, 2, 6)

Edit: you got to search something like "Estrabon, book III, rabbit plague of Turdetania". There is another sad history with rabbits of all kind

Interesting. I will definitely look into it. Thanks for taking out the time @kingaustral. Hope to keep knowing you in the future.

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Escobar, era agente de la CIA. La culpa no es del chancho, sino de quien le da de comer... Hay otras especies invasivas que reventaron ecosistemas de forma mucho más virulenta. Sin ir más lejos, la perca del Nilo en los lagos de Tanzania.

Hahahahaha. This is the most interesting thing I have heard in quite a while.
Escobar never ceases to amaze. Long after his death.

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