Colombia Approves Euthanasia of 80 Invasive Hippos

PUERTO TRIUNFO, Colombia – Colombian officials have approved a plan to euthanize about 80 invasive hippopotamuses later this year, sparking intense debate among scientists, animal rights activists and local residents along the Magdalena River.

The semiaquatic mammals, descendants of four hippos illegally imported in the 1980s by drug lord Pablo Escobar for his private zoo at Hacienda Nápoles, now number around 200 and are reproducing unchecked. Colombia's Environment Ministry estimates the population could surpass 500 by 2030 without action. The animals have spread across roughly 43,000 square kilometers, thriving without natural predators in the region's stable, drought-free climate unlike their African habitat.

Fishermen navigate the silty, tea-colored waters with caution, as hippos can surface suddenly and charge at speeds up to 8 kilometers per hour in water and 30 on land. "These hippos are a true nightmare," said Wilinton Sánchez, recalling a recent encounter where one reared up and bared its jaws. "If it ever gets hold of you, it'll tear you to pieces." Local resident Álvaro Molina, 61, described a similar incident years ago when two startled hippos capsized his boat; he...