Hippos brought to Colombia as part of Escobar’s private zoo on his farm, Hacienda Napoles, have bred so successfully that there are serious concerns about their environmental impact and human safety, according to a new study by researchers at Mexican and Colombian universities .
The hippos spread from their original home, about 100 kilometers east of the city of Medellin, in the Antioquia department and spread around the Magdalena River basin as their population continued to grow.
The authors of the study, published in the January issue of the journal Biological Conservation, recommend that the hippos be eliminated to avoid long-term adverse effects, but other scientists call for a castration program to control the hippopotamus population, with reference to concerns about animals. welfare and the commitment of some residents to their new neighbors.
In the 1980s, Escobar introduced one male and three female hippos to join its menagerie. After his death, other species of exotic animals were relocated, but the hippos were left behind because it was difficult to capture and transport, according to the study.
The hippos soon began to spread in the area, but the government’s efforts to eradicate them were halted after a public call.
Instead, a sterilization campaign was launched, but it did little to slow the progress of the hippos.
From 2011 to 2019, four males were castrated and two females sterilized, but this does not appear to have a significant impact on reproduction, according to the study.
Researchers say there are probably more than 80 hippos in the area today, up from 35 in 2012, and they are worried that the hippos will continue to spread in Colombia if no action is taken.
The study also cites research that shows the negative effects of hippo waste on oxygen levels in aquatic bodies, which can affect fish and ultimately humans, and it raises concerns about the possible transmission of diseases from hippos to humans.
Hippos also pose a threat to the existence and safety of humans in affected areas, the study said, eating or damaging crops and experiencing aggressive interactions with humans.
The researchers cite the occurrence of hippos chasing humans, as well as a hippo attack in May 2020 in which a 45-year-old man was seriously injured.
But while the authors of the study recommend a result, Enrique Zerda Ordóñez, a biologist at the National University of Colombia, believes castration programs are the way forward.
Removing the hippos would be an ‘easy option’, Zerda said, but it could affect the survival of an endangered species in Africa.
Although sterilization of hippos is no easy task, he believes, he believes it is now possible and necessary to do so before the numbers rise further, according to a press release from the university.
“At the moment, the authorities do not consider the species to be a problem,” Zerda said, “but in the future, when there are 400-500 hippos, it could pose a threat to the survival of other species living in. the same areas. ”
David Echeverri Lopez, head of forests and biodiversity at local environmental agency CORNARE, told CNN the situation was delicate.
“The option to kill them has always been on the table,” he said. “However, it is very difficult to imagine that this could happen at the moment.”
While hippos are an invasive species that can completely alter local ecosystems, people in the area have become accustomed to it, Echeverri said. They have become a tourist attraction against which people feel a little love, he added.
Some hippos will have to be killed because it is ‘practically impossible’ to find them and move or sterilize them.
“But there are a few other animals that are located in certain areas, in lakes and places that can set up a contraception plan, assuming sufficient resources are available,” said Echeverri, who works with the NGO Animal Balance. . to try to find alternative solutions.