The uncontrolled reproduction of drug traffickers’ animals is throwing the ecosystem out of balance, says the Colombian Ministry of the Environment
The Colombian Environment Ministry decided on Thursday (November 2, 2023) that some of the hippos descended from animals illegally imported from Africa by Pablo Escobar will be killed next week. The government chose ethical euthanasia.
According to the CFMV (Federal Council for Veterinary Medicine), the body that regulates euthanasia of animals, the procedure is defined as “the death of the animal by a technically acceptable and scientifically proven method in compliance with ethical principles”. The aim of the resolution is to “reduce the suffering of animals as much as possible”.
Environment Minister Susana Muhamad did not provide details on the date of the sacrifice or the number of animals that would be slaughtered.
According to the ministry, 166 hippos currently live in the Magdalena River, which is 300 km from the capital Bogotá. The ministry said the animals were damaging the ecosystem. Reason: They are not native to the country. The claim is that if reproduction is not controlled now, there will be 1,000 animals by 2035.
Some of the hundred animals are sterilized. Another is sent to Mexico, India and the Philippines. According to the local government, the places have the infrastructure to protect hippos.
In 2021, according to Susana Muhamad, 24 of more than 80 animals were sterilized.
Hippos were brought to Colombia in the late 1980s by Pablo Escobar, a Colombian drug leader at the time. He also brought zebras, elephants, giraffes and other species to his personal zoo at Fazenda Nápoles. Today the property is a theme park in Puerto Triunfo, a municipality in the Antioquia department of Colombia.